Noella hugged Maya almost immediately.
Duncan held the note his son had written. He cleared his throat twice before speaking.
“Liam talks about you every day,” he told her. “We knew you were his friend. We did not know how often you were standing up for him.”
Maya looked down. “I didn’t really protect him. They still said things.”
Liam answered before anyone else could.
“You stayed.”
Those two words carried more weight than any speech an adult could have made.
Maya took the wrapped ponytails from her backpack and handed them to Noella.
“We don’t know whether the organization can use all of it,” I explained.
Noella held the bundles against her chest. “Even if they cannot, this gift matters.”
PART SIX — KINDNESS BECOMES ACTION
A few days later, the wig organization confirmed that much of Maya’s hair met its requirements. It was not enough to make an entire wig, but it could be combined with other donations.
