“I am an Admiral in the United States Navy, Father,” I said, keeping my voice perfectly level.

“When my command calls, I do not ask for your permission.”

I turned toward the hallway.

“Evelyn!” Caroline screamed behind me. “If you ruin this for Nathan, I will never speak to you again!”

I did not stop.

I walked out of the dining room, the sound of my low-heeled shoes clicking sharply against the marble floor of the foyer.

The air in the hallway was cooler, smelling of old wood and the rain from outside.

As I reached the front door, I heard footsteps hurrying behind me.

I turned, expecting my father or Caroline.

Instead, it was Nathan.

He stopped a few feet away, his hands clasped behind his back in a defensive posture.

“Admiral,” Nathan said, his voice low and urgent.

“Commander,” I replied, my hand on the brass doorknob.

“I apologize for… all of this,” he said, gesturing vaguely toward the dining room.

“I had no idea they would react this way.”

“They have always reacted this way to things they cannot control,” I said.