“Morbror can’t braid.” “Well, we’ll fix that immediately. Hey, wanna play beauty parlor with me? I can wash and condition your hair, dry it, and put it in French braids. Sound fun? My little nieces love playing beauty parlor.” Her eyes are alight, but her smile falls a little. I sit up, cutting off the end credits of The Swan Princess with a click of the remote. “Honey, what’s wrong?” Her lower lip trembles. “Mamma did my hair.” Her words pierce right through my heart. I brush my hand over her messy hair again. “Oh, honey, I bet it was so pretty. I bet she was really good at it too. Wasn’t
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