"That's not enough."
"No."
Daniel nodded.
"But he was terrified."
Nathan said nothing.
Daniel continued.
"When I first met him, he had just spent eleven days in the hospital."
Nathan's jaw tightened.
"He was angry. Scared. His hair was falling out."
Nathan looked away.
Daniel's voice softened.
"I told him stories about Matt."
Nathan looked back.
"What stories?"
"Funny ones. Harmless stuff."
"You told him Matt was his father?"
"No."
Nathan's eyes narrowed.
"Claire and I agreed that was something you needed to be part of."
Nathan laughed bitterly.
"You both suddenly discovered respect for my role."
Daniel accepted the blow.
"Fair."
"No, not fair."
Nathan moved closer.
"Nothing about this is fair."
"I know."
"You know?"
Nathan pointed toward the house.
"That kid upstairs is my son."
"Yes."
"My wife lied to me for nine years."
"Yes."
"Your brother slept with her."
Daniel's face tightened.
"Yes."
"And now you're sitting in my living room like Uncle Daniel while I'm on the other side of the world."
Daniel did not defend himself.
Nathan said, "Were you sleeping with her too?"
Daniel looked shocked.
"No."
Nathan stared.
"No."
"You're sure?"
Daniel's eyes hardened for the first time.
"Don't do that."
Nathan almost laughed.
"You're giving me instructions?"
"I'm telling you not to turn Claire's mistake with Matt into something between her and me."
Nathan stepped closer.
"Then what was that hug?"
Daniel looked confused.
Nathan pointed through the window.
"When I came home."
Understanding crossed Daniel's face.
Nathan continued.
"My wife was sitting there smiling at you like she hadn't smiled at me in months."
Daniel's expression changed.
"She got good news."
Nathan frowned.
"What?"
"Eli's latest bloodwork."
Nathan went still.
Daniel said, "The oncologist called twenty minutes before you arrived."
Nathan looked toward the house.
"The numbers were good?"
"The best they've been."
Nathan's anger suddenly had nowhere to land.
Daniel continued.
"Claire broke down."
"The hug."
Daniel nodded.
"She was crying."
Nathan remembered what he saw through the window.
Claire leaning against Daniel.
Her arms around him.
Except he had not seen what happened before.
Only the frame that confirmed his worst fear.
Daniel rubbed the back of his neck.
"I told a stupid joke to get Eli laughing."
Nathan looked at him.
"That's what you walked in on."
Nathan stared at the porch floor.
He wanted Daniel to be a villain.
Desperately.
A man who had invaded his home.
Taken his wife.
Taken his son.
But Daniel refused to cooperate with the story.
Nathan asked, "Why didn't Claire tell me about the cancer?"
Daniel sighed.
"I fought her on that."
"She said."
"She thought you'd come home."
"I would've."
"That's why."
Nathan looked up.
Daniel spoke carefully.
"She knew your team was entering a high-risk phase."
Nathan's face changed.
"How?"
"Your family readiness officer told her enough to understand."
Nathan cursed quietly.
Daniel continued.
"Claire believed if you came home because Eli was sick, you'd blame yourself for leaving your unit."
"That's my decision."
"Yes."
Daniel nodded.
"I told her that too."
Nathan looked toward the street.
"So everybody knew except me."
Daniel did not answer.
"My wife."
"My son."
"His doctors."
"You."
"My command."