“We didn’t know,” she said, and she was crying now.

“Marla, sweetheart, we didn’t know, we thought you were just — we thought you were struggling, we thought — we’re your parents —” “You didn’t care about Niko when he was alive,” I said, and I was not cruel about it; I was just done.

“You cared less when he died.

The only thing you ever wanted to know about his service was whether there was money in it.

This morning you found out there was a house in it, and you tried to take the house.” Okoye’s voice, quiet, behind me: “Secure the perimeter.

Escort the civilians off the property.” The four soldiers moved, unhurried, and put themselves between my family and the house, and one of them took Cato by the wrist, and Delphina’s composure finally shattered altogether.