Chapter 3 — The Family That Stayed Silent
My father slowly walked toward me.
"Evelyn..."
His voice broke.
"Why didn't you come home?"
I looked at him.
"I did."
"You told me not to."
His face crumbled.
I continued quietly.
"The day I came back from Germany..."
"You looked at my scars and asked what I had done to embarrass the family."
He closed his eyes.
I wasn't finished.
"When people called me a disgrace..."
"You stayed silent."
"When Vanessa repeated those lies..."
"You stayed silent."
"When I stopped coming home..."
"You stayed silent."
Tears rolled down his face.
"I thought you couldn't tell us."
"I couldn't."
"But you could have trusted me."
Silence.
The Admiral stepped beside me.
"There is one more matter."
He handed me another folder.
"The Secretary of the Navy has officially restored your command."
Every reporter on the beach raised their cameras.
"You have also been nominated for the Navy Cross."
Vanessa whispered,
"Oh my God..."
The same scars she'd laughed at...
Were now proof of extraordinary courage.
She slowly reached for my hand.
"I'm sorry."
I stepped back.
"No."
May you like
"You feel embarrassed."
"That's different."
