I’m five and blonde. She’s three and brunette. I say, “Let’s play hairdresser for real.” With the kitchen scissors, I snip a lock of my own first to make sure it doesn’t hurt. Her hair is a soft chocolate cloud now swirled with my French vanilla. I gather the strands and hide them under the couch. But my grandparents notice my sister’s shorter hairdo. Grandpa spanks me. Hard. I cry. Grandma saves the evidence of my crime in a ziplock bag for when Mom and Dad get back from Vancouver. It is the only vacation they ever take without us.
T.L. Tomljanovic lives on the West Coast of Canada. She is widely published and the guardian of a dog the size of a donkey. tomljanovic.wordpress.com Bluesky and Substack: @tomljanovic Instagram: @wilovic X: @TLTomljanovic