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

Three days later, Lily was home—weak, but improving. Wrapped in a blanket on the couch. The house felt different, not because Sarah’s absence was deafening, but because Emily’s voice had changed.

Sarah had been removed from the home under a protective order while the case moved forward. Her ex-husband picked up Tyler. She called Emily once, demanding bail money and blaming everyone else. Emily didn’t pay. She didn’t argue. She blocked the number.

In the kitchen, Emily stared at the police report like it was written in a foreign language. Then she looked at me, eyes red but steady.

“I thought you didn’t care,” she said quietly. “When she insulted you, you never reacted. I thought you were… passive.”

“I don’t fight battles that don’t matter,” I said. “Words are noise. But Lily isn’t noise.”

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