I never told my sister-in-law that I was a Colonel in Army Intelligence!

When Lily was stable and finally sleeping under warm blankets, I stepped into the hallway and made a single call. Not to the military, not to my contacts in uniform. I called Emily.

She picked up on the first ring. “John? I had a weird feeling. Is Lily okay?”

“Lily’s alive,” I said. “She’s stable. But it was close.”

Emily went silent. “What happened?”

“Sarah locked her outside because she was coughing,” I said. “Lily had a fever. She got worse fast.”

I heard Emily’s breath catch. “No. No, she wouldn’t—”

“She did,” I said. “The hospital reported it. Police are involved.”

Emily’s voice went small. “I’m coming home.”

“Now,” I said. “And Emily… I should have told you sooner. About me. About the house. About why I’ve been quiet.”

She swallowed. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not unemployed,” I said. “I’m on leave. I didn’t want my job to define our marriage. But we’re past that.”

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