She lifted her shoulders like she was bracing for impact. « Don’t be mad. »
« Letty… what did you do? »
« I’m trying very hard to start somewhere before mad. »
That got the tiniest breath out of her, but her eyes filled anyway.
« There’s a girl in my class named Millie, » she said. « She’s in remission, but her hair still hasn’t grown back right. Today the boys laughed at her in science. She cried in the bathroom, Mom. I heard her. »
Letty held up the ribboned hair. « I looked it up. Real hair can go into wigs. And mine won’t be enough by itself, but maybe it can help. »
« Baby… »
« I know it looks awful. »
« She cried in the bathroom, Mom. I heard her. »
« Like you fought hedge clippers and barely won, » I said.
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