I tugged the covers off her and couldn’t stop the gasp of shock from escaping my lips.“What did you do?”
“I cut my hair.”
“Butwhy?”I asked.“If you wanted a haircut, we could’ve gone to a salon!You look like you did it with kitchen scissors.”
She swallowed.“I took your sewing scissors from your room.”
“When?”I asked.
“This morning.”
“Is this my fault?Did you do this because you’re mad at me?”
Her brows slashed together.“Why would I be mad at you?”
“I don’t know.Because your dad and I ...”
She shook her head, whipping uneven dark tresses across her shoulders.“I talked to Nancy.She called earlier this morning.”
“Earlier when?Where was I?”
“In the shower.”
“Oh.”I frowned.“How did Nancy even get your number?”
“Archer gave it to her.When they talked.He told me she might reach out to me.”
I took a steadying breath.“So, Nancy called you?”
She nodded.“Yeah.To apologize.”
“For what?”I prodded when she fell silent.
“For how she handled everything after Mom died, and for leaving me without saying goodbye.” She swallowed.“She said it was all too much and she cried and said she’s sorry ...”
“And your hair?”
She looked at me and started to cry.“I don’t know.I just ...I miss Mom so much and everything is?—”
I didn’t reply.Instead, I pulled out my phone.I scrolled through my contacts and pressed a button.
“What are you doing?”she sniffed as I put the cell to my ear.
I placed my finger to my lips, signaling her to be quiet.
“Hi,” I said after the phone was answered.“This is Wyn Larsen.I’m calling about Lenni Murphy.She’s sick and won’t be in today.”I paused and shot Lenni a wink.“Thanks so much.”
I hung up and tossed my phone aside.
“You’re the best, Wyn.”She launched herself at me and squeezed me tight.
I hugged her back.“We’re not going to make this a habit, okay?When we feel out of control, we do not cut our own hair, and we don’t lie about being sick.”
“But you just lied to the school,” she pointed out.“Should you call them back and tell them the truth?”
I tweaked her nose.“You and me, I mean ...no lies.That’s the way this is gonna work.Yeah?”
She nodded.
