Chapter 4 - THE HOUSE
The first thing I noticed when I entered my parents’ house was that my photographs were gone.
Graduation.
Officer Candidate School.
My first deployment.
Dad standing beside me at commissioning.
All missing.
Daniel’s photographs remained.
His wedding.
His two children.
Christmas.
Birthdays.
I stood in the hallway staring at the empty hooks.
Helen appeared from the kitchen.
“You made it.”
No hug.
No tears.
Just judgment.
“I did.”
Her eyes moved over my uniform bag.
“I told Daniel not to let you wear that tomorrow.”
“I’m wearing it.”
Her jaw tightened.
“This funeral is about your father.”
“I know.”
“Not your career.”
“I know.”
“You’ve spent eleven years making everything about the Navy.”
I looked at her.
“That isn’t true.”
She laughed bitterly.
“You weren’t here when he vomited from chemotherapy.”
“I asked to come.”
“You weren’t here when he stopped eating.”
“I tried.”
“You weren’t here when he called your name.”
That stopped me.
“What?”
Helen’s eyes hardened.
“His last coherent night.”
I felt my throat close.
“He asked for me?”
“Yes.”
I gripped the back of a chair.
“Why didn’t you call?”
“I did.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I sent you messages for months.”
“You told me he wanted me to stay.”
“He changed his mind.”
“When?”
“When it was too late.”
I could barely breathe.
Behind Helen, Daniel stood in the doorway.
He would not look at me.
That frightened me more than her anger.
“Daniel.”
He stared at the floor.
“What?”
“Did Dad ask for me?”
Helen answered.
“Yes.”
I kept looking at my brother.
“Daniel.”
He finally raised his eyes.
“I don’t know.”
Helen turned sharply.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I wasn’t there that night.”
“You were at the hospital.”
“Not when he supposedly said that.”
Supposedly.
Helen went rigid.
For the first time, I saw a crack.
May you like
Small.
But real.
