The color was imperfect near the ceiling, but she loved it.

On the mantel, Dad’s photograph caught the afternoon sun.

That evening we ate takeout from paper cartons, sitting on the floor because the furniture was pulled away from the walls.

“Best dinner I’ve had in years,” Mom said.

There was no one in the room to contradict her.

PART 24: The Meaning of Attention

I returned to Fort Gordon the following spring for a ceremony honoring soldiers who had completed a demanding period of service.

Rhodes was there, now preparing for a new position.