To me, they were perfect. To my mother-in-law, Brenda, they were apparently some kind of problem that needed fixing.
Brenda has always had very firm opinions about how boys should look. She made remarks every single time she saw
Leo.
“He looks like a little girl.”
“Boys shouldn’t have hair like that.”
“When are you going to give him a proper haircut?”
My husband, Mark, stopped her every time. “Leo’s hair is not up for discussion, Mom.”
Brenda would give that tight little smile and switch the topic. That smile always meant she was waiting for her chance.
The Promise
What Brenda didn’t know—what she never bothered to ask about—was why Leo’s hair was so long in the first place.
