I had first thought this story was about an arrogant man who would be embarrassed when my uniform exposed him.

Now I saw the broader harm.

He’d taken something painful and sacred from another family and made it a fundraising strategy.

When Mom returned with her prescription bag, she noticed my expression.

“Something happened?”

I told her about Ellen.

Ruth looked out at the traffic and said, “Wendell always told me stories about men who’d died serving.

He would cry sometimes.