“He came home broken,” Bear said quietly. “PTSD. Brain injury from an IED. He fought it for years. His wife left—took Lily with her. Couldn’t handle the outbursts, the fear. He tried to hold on, but eventually he… slipped.”
The officer looked down at the paper again. “It says he’s in prison.”
“And her mother?”
“Remarried. New husband wants nothing to do with her old life. I’m allowed visitation—two hours a week, court ordered. McDonald’s was the only place she’d agree to.”
Across the restaurant, someone gasped softly.
Bear pulled out his phone, showing pictures: two Marines shoulder to shoulder in combat gear; the same man holding a newborn Lily; wedding photos, hospital photos, prison photos. Proof of a lifetime of loyalty.
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