Audrey's voice had not been accusing, had perhaps even been appreciative, and Miriam can see why she would like it longer, with how much she enjoys touching her hair - but she still huffs in annoyance. "It's not like I have been able to visit my hairdresser every week as usual."

Audrey bites her lip. "I could..."

"No, no," Miriam knows Audrey cuts her own hair and that of the children, and she has always done a marvelous job, but maintaining her signature style is something different than cutting some ends. "I'd rather not end up frustrated with you for getting it wrong, hair is not worth the argument. I suppose I'll just have to grow it out, perhaps it's time for something new. ...what?"

Audrey is looking at her with a softness in her eyes that Miriam can't explain.

"'Hair isn't worth an argument'?" Audrey quotes back at her, smiling. "Not too long ago, you would have sung a different tune."

Miriam shrugs, leaning her forehead against Audrey's shoulder. "Many things were different, not so long ago."

Audrey doesn't need to reply for Miriam to know that now, they are both thinking the same. How war, how death, can change ones priorities so thoroughly.

~

The next day, standing in front of her mirror, Miriam takes a comb with a calculating eye and changes her parting. Her bangs and forelock have really grown so long as to be bothersome, and she would also rather change her style now than wait until it became obvious to others than just her wife that her style is getting rather disheveled. Because while yes, her priorities have changed somewhat, she would still loathe to be seen as anything but put together, someone to be respected.

She ends up with a middle parting, the style looking completely alien on her, but as she looks a while longer, she decides that it isn't a bad look, no, not bad at all. She'll grow it out a bit longer, to her shoulders perhaps, then ask Audrey to cut it.

Putting away her comb, and then her hairspray and the meagre rests of her other hair supplies that she had needed for her old look as well, Miriam smiles.

Miriam's current hair length