Her face changed into the calm expression she used whenever she believed everyone else was being unreasonable.
“I’m fixing her hair.”
Daniel looked at the floor.
At the black curls scattered across it.
Then at Lily.
Her hair had been cut unevenly on one side, much shorter than the other.
“She was crying.”
“She’s seven.”
“That doesn’t answer me.”
Simone exhaled.
“Daniel, look at her hair.”
He looked.
All he saw was his daughter.
Simone continued.
“It was frizzing around the edges. The stylist tried to work with it, but Lily kept pulling away. She’s supposed to be in every family photograph today.”
Lily’s mouth trembled.
“I told her no.”
Daniel crouched in front of her.
“Did you want your hair cut?”
She shook her head immediately.
“No.”
Simone crossed her arms.
“She agreed earlier.”
“I didn’t!”
Lily’s voice broke.
Simone’s jaw tightened.
“You said you wanted to look pretty.”
“That isn’t agreeing to this,” Daniel said.
“Daniel, please.”
“No.”
He stood.
“You do not cut her hair after she says stop.”
Simone stared at him as though he had chosen the wrong side in an argument that should never have had sides.
“She needs structure.”
“She needed you to stop.”
“She’s been difficult all morning.”
Lily flinched.
Daniel noticed.
Something cold moved through him.
“What does that mean?”
Simone looked toward the open door.
“We do not have time for this right now.”
“You had time to cut my daughter’s hair.”
“I was trying to prevent her from looking a mess in the wedding pictures.”
Lily started crying harder.
Daniel’s voice dropped.
“She can hear you.”
Simone glanced at Lily.
For the first time, something resembling regret appeared.
But instead of apologizing, she said, “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Lily whispered, “She said I embarrass her.”
Daniel looked at Simone.
“What?”
Simone’s eyes widened slightly.
Lily wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
“She said when she becomes my new mom, she doesn’t want me embarrassing her.”
The bridal suite went completely silent.