CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 25: THE WIG
The treatment caused her hair to fall out.
At first, she pretended not to care.
Then one afternoon I found her crying in the bathroom.
She looked so small sitting on the floor.
"I don't even recognize myself," she whispered.
I sat beside her.
Neither of us spoke.
Finally, I said:
"You know what Ella would say?"
She looked up.
"What?"
"She'd say your hair doesn't change who you are."
A tiny smile appeared.
"She really would."
The next day, Samantha had an idea.
We took our mother shopping.
At first, she protested.
"This is ridiculous."
"No," Samantha said. "This is an adventure."
Three hours later, we were trying on wigs.
Blonde.
Brown.
Curly.
Short.
My mother looked horrified.
Then Ella placed a bright silver wig on her head.
"You look like a queen."
The entire store burst into laughter.
Even my mother.
She laughed so hard that tears rolled down her cheeks.
For a few minutes, cancer disappeared.
Fear disappeared.
There was only laughter.
Only family.
Only the strange, beautiful miracle of being together.
When we finally left, my mother held my hand.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For giving me another happy memory."
I squeezed her hand.
"We're making new ones."
She looked at me for a long moment.
May you like
Then she smiled.
And this time, the smile reached her eyes.
