“He put them in the black trash bag with my coloring books,” she said, her voice small and dry.

“He said we weren’t going to need them anymore.”

I leaned over the bed rail and reached to wrap my arms around her shoulders and pull her close against my chest.

Lily pushed back into the stiff mattress, locking her elbows straight and pressing her small palms flat against my collarbone to shove me away.

“You like the Army more than me,” she said.

My right hand went straight to the brass button on my left cuff, rubbing the smooth metal ridge until the edge cut into my thumb.