she meant it.
Maybe not perfectly.
Maybe understanding would take repetition.
But for the first time, she was apologizing to Emily.
Not Captain Carter.
Ryan touched the Trident on his chest.
Then looked at our parents.
“You know what the worst part is?”
Dad sighed.
“What?”
“If Commander Hayes hadn’t walked over…”
Ryan glanced at me.
“…we would have gone home thinking we were right.”
Nobody answered.
Because he was.
PART 5: THE FRONT ROW
Three months after Ryan’s ceremony, I came home for Thanksgiving.
Truly home.
On time.
No
