Wendell answered the door wearing his retired command sergeant major cap.

The sight of it made me unexpectedly sad.

There were real veterans whose service deserved respect, and there was this man borrowing the language of service to control a woman he hadn’t known two years earlier.

“I’m glad you’re home,” he told Ruth, ignoring me and the officer.

“We can put all this foolishness behind us.”

“I’m here for my things,” Ruth said.

He stepped aside with a theatrical sigh.