“I sent a letter to your last military mailing address,” Lauren continued.

“It came back.

Then I sent another to your mother’s house.

You always said she collected your mail whenever you were deployed.”

“She did.”

“I waited for a reply.”

The silence that followed carried more weight than any accusation.

I had never told my mother to turn Lauren away on my behalf, but I had spoken so bitterly about my former wife that it must have sounded as though I never wanted to hear her name again.