It was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard.
From that day forward, Leo refused haircuts. “I’m growing it for Lily,” he’d say whenever anyone asked.
And we let him. Because it gave him something to do while his sister fought for her life. Because it made Lily smile when nothing else did. Because in a world where we had no control, this was one small thing our son could control.
Lily went into remission eight months ago. Her hair is growing back now—soft brown fuzz that’s getting longer every day.
But Leo kept his curls. “I made a promise,” he said simply.
We never pushed him to cut it. It was his hair. His promise. His way of loving his sister.
Brenda knew Lily had been sick. She’d visited the hospital a handful of times. But she never asked why Leo’s
