“Niko was a consultant.

You said he was a consultant.” “Major Nikolai Brightwood,” Okoye said, “was a decorated operator assigned to this command.

And Captain Marla Brightwood is an active-duty officer of the Intelligence Directorate, currently under classified deployment status.” My mother’s coffee cup slipped out of her hand and broke on the driveway.

Nobody looked at it.

She was staring at me.

“Active duty,” she said faintly.