“And you knew about it every step of the way.”

“I used the capital that was allocated to me,” Derek said, his right foot tapping a fast beat on the granite floor.

“That’s how family finances work.

You chose the Army.

The Army pays for your housing and your meals.”

“The Army pays for service,” I said.

I uncapped Arthur’s gold fountain pen, pressed the white document against the smooth stone molding on the hallway wall, and wrote the word DENIED in heavy, dark cursive across the authorization box.

I signed my full name and rank under the refusal line, capped the pen, and handed the paper back to him.