Last year, Lily was diagnosed with cancer, and I watched my son carry a worry too big for a fourteen-year-old.
Then Ethan refused to get a haircut.
“Mom, I’m going to grow my hair out so Lily can feel like herself again.”
I can’t tell you how proud I was. Lily had lost all her hair to chemotherapy, and despite the teasing Ethan took at school for his long hair, he grew it out until it was long enough to donate.
I found an organization that makes wigs for children, and one morning I took Ethan to have his hair cut. When he gave Lily the wig, she burst into tears.
I thought that was the end of the story.
But the next morning the school called. The principal, Mr. Harrison, cleared his throat. “Ma’am, you need to come in immediately. Lily’s father is here, demanding to see you.”
My knees shook the whole drive.
