She ran toward me.
For a moment, I held the daughter I’d been told was dead.
Ellie pulled away and inspected my hair.
“Can you do mine like yours?”
“Of course, sweetheart.”
I held the daughter I’d been told was dead.
She fetched her ribbons.
I sat behind her at the kitchen table and divided her curls into two sections.
My fingers weren’t steady.
“Ouch!” she complained.
“Sorry, darling.”
“You’re pulling.”
My fingers weren’t steady.
I loosened my grip.
“Better?”
“Yep.”
Nora stood beside the counter, watching us.
I finished the first pigtail.
Nora stood beside the counter, watching us.
Then the second.
Ellie jumped down to inspect herself in the hallway mirror.
“Perfect!”
She ran off to show Tom.
Nora sat opposite me.
Neither of us reached for the papers on the table.
She ran off to show Tom.
There was something much harder we needed to discuss.
