ge of our living room, the silence d

note was crump

ime, it

more insulting than their usual indifference. "No

om.

oken mirror. Wild eyes, tear-streaked face

e I

nning. They were crush

My scholarship was gone. Our home was a disaster zone. Our communit

hem destroy everything Dad and Mom worked

from Mom' s shattered potted plants, the sight of D

Patc

grief and rage

im. For what?

. It solidified something

y at first, picking up br

oset, buried under a pile

old foo

mories he wasn' t ready to face, an

he latches. They were sti

d something else, someth

ress uniform, the deep blue fabric stil

ed the

dal of

the blue ribbon with its white

the lives he saved, the ultimate sacrifice he made

rs. Commendations, notes from his

"sacrifice," "unwaveri

out, but my father. The man who taught me to ride a bike, who told

was for the right reasons. He stood up f

if he saw what wa

ullies win. He wouldn't

d idea began to

police, the city officials, the

a local hero. He was

family, weren't they? The

used to say. A

his family would

razy shot. But it was t

photo of Dad in his uniform from the mantelpiece – one of the f

rgency cash, the money Emily had pains

ase where Dad had been stationed, where

had talked about him

if anyone would unders

ad t