They took their seats in the shadow of the overhang.

A man in a navy sweater sat down in the row just in front of them.

He turned around and smiled.

“Are you folks here for a cadet?” the man asked.

“Our daughter,” Richard said.

He talked about me the same way he used to talk about his real estate holdings.

“She’s finishing first in her class today.”

“Is she going into aviation or logistics?” the man asked.