My father dug his nails into my burn scars. “Don’t embarrass your sister, or I’ll call the Military Police,” he threatened. She had just mocked me
The young Captain bypassed Claire entirely, his polished boots clicking rhythmically against the asphalt until he stopped dead in front of my chair. He didn’t offer the red roses to my mother or my father. Instead, he snapped a salute so sharp it could have cut glass, extending the blood-red bouquet directly toward me. “On…