Her story belonged to her.
My husband was temporarily staying elsewhere while everything was being evaluated.
His mother was not allowed to contact our daughter.
For the first two nights, my daughter slept in my room.
She kept the blanket over her head.
On the third morning, I woke up and found her standing in front of the bathroom mirror.
She wasn’t wearing the blanket.
She was wearing one of my old hoodies.
Her newly shaved head was completely visible.
She stared at herself.
I didn’t say anything
She noticed me in the doorway.
“Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think I’ll look like me again?”
My throat tightened.
“You already do.”
She touched her head.
“I don’t feel like me.”
I walked over and stood beside her.
“You don’t have to feel like yourself today.”
She looked at our reflections.
“Can I grow it long again?”
