his room, hunched ove

rised. "Mom? You o

a fierce hug. "David

e? What'

ex. To see

uded his face

trying to take it from you." T

he flicker of it in his eyes, the reluctance

from her first life. It

, honey. We ha

x was a blur of adren

r the PX, her

d be. He' d be with Bren

mall park on base, a plac

ere th

form, laughing, his ar

self-satisfied, her son K

ke a picture-p

ilt on lies

ht of them, so carefree, so blat

louder than she inte

le freezing when h

arrowed. Kevin'

here?" Mark' s voice was

k. About David'

owards her, lowering his voice. "No

ter sound. "You steal our son's futu

other military families, their

d, her expression on

ked, her voice dripping with false

a misunderstanding." Mar

s voice rose. "You call grand

started

cal," one woman wh

azy ex," her f

est, looking faint. "Oh, dear.

enomous look. "See

David. "What's wrong, crybaby?

shaken, clenched his f

n taunted, shov

led back, t

ent down in a

d, "David!

citously, then turned on David, who was

, attacking Kevin like that?" Ma

n look at Dav

em. "He was defending hi

aze fixed on David. "Yo

in the air, h

s face