I stared at the clippers in her hand. “You shaved my daughter’s head.”

“I corrected her,” Judith snapped. “Something you and Dustin were too weak to do.”

At the sound of my husband’s name, the room tilted slightly.

“What does Dustin have to do with this?”

Judith’s lips tightened, but satisfaction gleamed in her eyes. “I called him this morning. I told him Meadow needed discipline. He said I should do what I thought was best.”

The air vanished from my lungs.

Then Meadow made a sound — not a word, just a tiny broken noise no child should ever make. I dropped to my knees and crawled through the pile of her hair to reach her. When I touched her shoulder, she flinched, and I nearly collapsed right there on the floor.

“Baby,” I whispered, pulling her gently into my arms. “I’m here. Mommy’s here.”