“I’m not leaving my military assignment,” I said.

“You don’t have to leave it,” she said, leaning across the little table to touch my forearm with cold fingers.

“You can take your rightful share of the family money now instead of waiting decades for it.”

“And what becomes of Ethan’s legal petition?”

“You just withdraw your formal objection to your father having custody,” she said, dabbing at her lower lip with the napkin again.

“We bring Ethan home, we settle the estate dispute, and we go back to being a proper family.”