beside him.
He was writing names, dates, school policies, everything.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He didn’t look up. “Getting ready.”
“For what?”
“To make sure my mother understands exactly what she did.”
Over the next two days, Mark gathered everything. The school’s visitor log showing Brenda had lied about a medical emergency. The barber shop receipt. Photos of Leo’s hair before and after. A recording of Leo describing what happened.
He also called a family lawyer.
“I want to know my options,” he told them. “Can I press charges for what she did?”
I sat across from him while he was on the phone, watching his face get harder with each answer.
When he hung up, he looked at me.
“Legally, it’s complicated. She’s on the approved pickup list, so the school didn’t do anything wrong. And cutting a child’s hair without permission is technically assault, but it’s
