My mother-in-law shaved my head while I slept on the very night the United States Army promoted me into one of the most important commands of my career.

My mother’s name was listed.

My father’s too.

And beneath them, in a line that made the rain, the smoke, the sirens, and the shouting disappear into a single distant roar, was a handwritten annotation:

Candidate rejected. Father refused transfer. Monitor for future leverage.

I looked at Linda.

For the first time all day, she would not meet my eyes.

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