“It takes steady effort,” I said.

“Of course,” she said.

“And you’ve always been so disciplined.

We always saw that strength in you.”

I twisted my silver class ring around my thumb under the edge of the table.

In thirty-eight years, she had never used the word strength to describe my military record.

“We were hoping we could leave the old grievances behind us,” she went on, resting her hand near my coffee saucer.

“Starting today.”