Corinne knelt in front of her.

“No one is ever going to punish you again for asking for water, or for crying, or for missing your mom.”

Casey held on to her without a word.

The military’s internal investigation concluded that the fraudulent text messages had been created on Ross’s personal tablet. Corinne’s security clearance was reinstated in full — but she requested a permanent administrative posting close to home.

Her commanding officer asked whether she regretted giving up the international missions.

“I served my country overseas for twenty-three years,” she said. “Now I have a smaller mission. Not a less important one.”