"When Tiana died, Marcus had no one there. I was at the hospital."
Daniel looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because she'd become my friend."
That surprised him.
Emily continued.
"She was dying, Daniel. Marcus was sitting in a plastic chair outside her room coloring a picture of dinosaurs while his mother was signing papers about who would take him when she died."
Daniel's anger faltered again.
"I couldn't walk away."
"You could have called me."
"I should have."
"You could have told my command it was an emergency."
"I should have."
"You could have written one honest sentence."
"I know."
Daniel leaned back against the seat.
"Why didn't you?"
Emily took a long time to answer.
Finally, she whispered, "Because I was afraid you'd say no."
There it was.
Not the whole truth.
But a truth.
Daniel stared at her.
"So you decided my answer didn't matter."
"I decided a six-year-old shouldn't lose both parents and then be sent to strangers while I waited months for you to come home."
Daniel shook his head.
"You decided."
"Yes."
"Alone."
"Yes."
"And then what? You thought I'd walk through the door one day and eventually get used to it?"
"No."
"Then what was the plan?"
Emily looked down.
"I didn't have one."
Daniel gave a humorless laugh.
"That's reassuring."
"I was going to tell you before you came home."
"When?"
"After your last mission cycle."
"You knew I was due home in three weeks."
"I know."
"And you still hadn't told me."
"I was scared."
Daniel opened the door.
Emily grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going?"
"Hotel."
"Daniel."
"I cannot walk into that house right now."
"It's your house."
He turned toward her.
"Is it?"
Emily went silent.
Daniel stepped into the rain.
He retrieved his duffel bag from the truck bed and drove away.
He did not look back.
He checked into a small motel near the interstate.
The receptionist smiled at his uniform and thanked him for his service.
Daniel almost laughed.
People always thanked soldiers for sacrifice.
No one ever asked what exactly had been sacrificed.
He sat on the edge of the motel bed for more than an hour without removing his boots.
His phone buzzed repeatedly.
Emily.
He ignored every call.
Then a message arrived.
Marcus asked if you are mad at him.
Daniel read the sentence three times.
His anger shifted again.
He typed a response.
I'm not angry at him.