I didn’t give my five-year-old daughter’s refusal to cut her hair much thought until she stated that she wanted to leave it long for her “real daddy.” My heart skipped a beat as I heard those words. To whom was she referring? Was there another person in my wife’s life that I was unaware of?

It was a typical parenting incident that you hear about but hope never to experience yourself.

Gum remaining in her mouth, Lily had slept off on the couch on a movie night. It was too late by the time Sara and I located her.

Her hair was a hopeless mess of gum.