“Yes, baby?”
“I think I forgive Grandma Judith.”
My hands froze instantly.
She met my eyes in the mirror, serious and calm. “Not because what she did was okay. It wasn’t. But staying angry all the time makes my chest feel heavy. Dr. Norton says forgiveness can be something I keep for myself.”
I swallowed hard. “That’s a very grown-up thing to understand.”
“I’m still not seeing her.”
“You don’t have to.”
“And I’m growing my hair long again.”
“Because you want to?”
She smiled then. Not the careless smile from before, but something stronger.
“Because I want to. And if I cut it someday, that will be my choice too.”
I tied the purple ribbon carefully into place.
In the mirror, my daughter touched her short golden hair, lifted her chin, and said, “I’m valuable even without it.”
That was when I knew Judith had failed.
