My 14 year old son was arrested at his father’s wedding after hitting his father’s new wife. When he looked at me and said “it’s because of my brother”, I realized the truth and it broke my heart. He is a hero.

The call came through my commanding officer, his voice clipped and devoid of emotion. “Your son committed a serious assault at his father’s wedding. You need to get home. Now.”

I was on a military base in Germany and hadn’t seen my boys in eight months. Now, my teenage son—the same boy who quit the wrestling team because he hated hurting people—was facing charges for brutalizing a woman at the altar. After an eighteen-hour emergency flight, I headed straight to my ex-husband’s house, where I knew my son would be. The bride’s dark blood was still stained on the pristine white concrete of the driveway.