he entered the building, his polished expression changed.
“Captain Rachel Miller,” he said, his voice carrying across the auditorium, “it is an honor to see you again.”
A thousand heads turned back to me.
For once, nobody laughed.
I rose slowly, my legs weak beneath me. Mr. Reynolds stood near the aisle, pale and stiff, as if the floor had shifted under him and he could no longer trust it. When I passed him, he opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Mom met me halfway down the aisle.
For one second, her face softened, and she was just my mother again.
“You okay, kiddo?” she whispered.
I nodded, though my throat felt locked.
We walked onto the stage together.
Admiral Carter shook my mother’s hand first. Not a casual handshake. Not polite. He held her hand between both of his for one brief moment, like a man greeting
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