Chapter 15 - The Promotion
The call came on a Tuesday.
Jessica was with me when it happened.
I listened.
Answered several questions.
Then hung up.
She stared.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That was your nothing face.”
“I have a nothing face?”
“Yes. It means something enormous happened and you're pretending it didn't.”
I smiled.
“I was selected for promotion.”
Jessica screamed.
Actually screamed.
I jumped.
She covered her mouth.
“Sorry. Military composure.”
I laughed.
Then she hugged me.
Not because the promotion finally made me worthy.
Because she understood what it meant to me.
That difference mattered.
At the ceremony months later, Mom sat beside Jessica.
My niece and nephew watched.
When my new insignia was pinned, I looked into the audience.
Jessica was crying.
Later she whispered:
“I spent years thinking your life was empty because it didn't look like mine.”
I hugged her.
May you like
“And?”
“Turns out it was full. I just wasn't looking.”
