Winter 1933

Jane lived in a coldwater flat. She had a small kitchen area with a sink and running water, but there was no water heater for the building. A water closet in the hall across from her contained a stool and lavatory and was shared by all four of the apartments on her floor. For daily grooming and washing up, Jane heated water on her stove, but once a week she returned to Number 17 to use the bathroom. It was heaven, she had to admit, to wash her hair and soak in the tub.

This arrangement had been in place since Jane had moved into her flat. Neither Kate nor Michael wanted her to leave, saying there was plenty of room and they had all gotten along so well for so long there was no reason for her to move out. But Jane felt it was time to be on her own. She was nearly thirty and working, and she was a little tired of being labeled Michael's spinster sister by the neighbors. Reluctantly Kate and Michael agreed, but Kate had insisted that Jane have full use of the main bathroom whenever she needed it.

Jane had spent almost a month at Number 17 during the final days of Kate's illness helping Michael with the children. During that time she had taken on the responsibility of washing Annabel's hair. John's and Georgie's short hair made it easy for Michael to give them their baths and supervise their grooming, and they were of an age where they were often able to do it themselves. Annabel was more of a problem. Her long brown hair reached almost to her waist. She wore it like her mother and Aunt Jane when they were girls, down her back with a ribbon in front to keep it out of her eyes. Her fine hair had just enough curl that it snarled easily.

It had never been a problem. Kate loved brushing her daughter's hair and putting it in a braid at night. In the mornings she helped her brush it out and style it. Privately, Jane thought it was a lot of work. She enjoyed the freedom her short hair gave her. But Kate saw it differently. In a house full of males it was one of the things she and Annabel shared that was just for girls.

Michael had no idea how to handle Annabel's hair. He had tried washing it just once after Kate's passing and wound up calling Jane to come over and help. Jane had found Annabel wrapped in a towel, the soap still in her hair which was hopelessly snarled. It had taken Jane almost an hour to rinse her niece's hair and coax the stubborn knots out with a comb and brush. After that it was a given that Jane would wash Annabel's hair when she came over for her weekly bath. Usually the children had their baths before she arrived, so rather than putting Annabel back in the tub and getting her wet again, Jane had her lean over the side.

Michael did the best he could but his mornings were busy, trying to get ready for work and the children off to school. It was often Ellen who unbraided and brushed Annabel's hair. She was quick and efficient and it was easier to redo the braid than fuss with ribbons. Because mornings were so hectic, Michael made a point of brushing and redoing Annabel's hair every night. It was difficult work. The braid had often come undone by day's end and Annabel's tangled hair was a challenge. On the few days she wore her hair loose it was much worse. Michael knew he was pulling her hair, but she didn't complain so he thought he was doing all right.

"Aunt Jane," Annabel asked one night when Jane was washing her hair, "can I get my hair cut like yours?

It was such a good idea that Jane readily agreed and went ahead and made the appointment with her hairdresser. Annabel looked adorable in the new haircut. She practically danced into the house to show her father. She twirled in front of him and told him how nice it would be because now she could take care of it all by herself. Michael had been oddly quiet, but he told Annabel that he thought she looked very nice and he liked her hair very much. Only after she had gone up to the nursery did he turn his attention to Jane.

He was angrier than Jane had ever seen. How dare she do such a thing without asking him? If Kate had been alive she would have talked to her first. In the future she would talk to him about any decisions regarding the children. She was their aunt, but he was their father. He left the library, went up to his bedroom and closed the door.

He called her building later that night to apologize. He was sorry. It had just caught him off guard seeing Annabel with her hair cut short. Would she please come over to dinner tomorrow night so he would know that things were all right between them?

The following evening Jane tried to bring up the subject after dinner. Michael was right. She would have talked to Kate first before getting Annabel's hair cut. But Michael didn't want to talk about it. She realized something more was bothering her brother. But until he was willing to talk about it there was nothing she could say or do.

Summer 1954

"Mama, I need help," called a voice from the bathroom.

Annabel had her hands full trying to make formula and feed the new baby. "I can't help you now," she called. "Come out here in the kitchen and have Grandpa braid your hair."

"Grandpa can't braid hair," said Katie, coming into the kitchen with her brush and hair tie.

"Sure he can, he used to do it all the time when I was little," her mother told her.

"Well I don't know," said Michael. "You got your hair cut because I pulled it too much and wasn't doing a very good job."

"What are you talking about?" asked Annabel. "You did just fine. Mother used to be pull my hair too. There was this spot in the back that always got snarled. We used to laugh about it. I was just tired of having to lean over the tub when Aunt Jane washed it."

"Really?" asked Michael.

Katie had handed him the brush and was now standing with her back to him. He ran the brush through her golden hair and divided it into three sections. He started a braid down her back, just like he had done for her mother so many years ago.

"Really," said Annabel.

Notes:

I was a bucket of tears by the time Ben Whishaw finished his solo in Mary Poppins Returns. I was particularly struck by the line "I could surely use a few suggestions on how to brush our daughter's hair." But I also saw that Annabel's hair was short and low maintenance in the movie. What had happened and why did brushing Annabel's hair bother Michael as much as the difficult questions the boys were asking?