The Night I Became a Colonel, My Mother-in-Law Cut My Hair While I Slept—By Morning, I Was Done Obeying Them

Families filled rows of chairs.

My uniform fit perfectly.

My hair had grown into a short, professional cut.

Before the ceremony, I stood alone for a moment behind the building.

I thought about the first night after the assault.

The mirror.

The clippers.

The fear that everyone would see damage before they saw me.