We realized we had to cut her hair.

Lina knelt by Fiona, holding a comb.

“Honey, we need to cut a bit of your hair,” she said. “Just where the gum is.”

What happened next shocked us both.

Fiona’s face filled with fear, and she sat up fast, grabbing her hair like it was her lifeline.

“No!” she cried. “You can’t cut it! I need it for my real daddy to know it’s me when he comes back!”

Lina’s eyes widened, and my heart sank.

“What did you say, Fiona?” I asked softly, kneeling beside her.

She looked at me with big, teary eyes, like she’d spilled a huge secret.

“I want my real daddy to know it’s me,” she said quietly.

Lina and I shared a stunned look.