vet boxes. Mom's. Dad's. Then there was Michael's Medal of Honor, the star-s

er crash during a humanitarian mission in Af

oes. The nati

re supposed t

ly collec

st me, Katherine, and my

heroes, the

ourselves

one. Always saw the good, e

like Dad. Brac

like a calm summer day

. He was charming, kind, a juni

ll the ri

ngton, near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,

r hand, his

rine," he'd told me later, a

Isabella i

acred, Izzy. I'll spend

since Michael's flag-draped coffin, I

it. God, sh

A small, simple ring. Isabell

home. A family to rep

ed to wan

r for Sunday dinners, what little we could scrape together. He lis

solid. D

was always scanning the hori

ella was

r, I tried

all

was planned

hing dress designs

sigh, twirling a pencil. "Just a small

ing a smile.

when the house was quiet, I'

he medals felt

er of sa

everything cou

t fragile, like thin

ayed it w