Ava looked down at me as I ascended, tears running down her cheeks.

“Rachel, I’m sorry,” she whispered.

I did not stop walking.

“I know,” I said as I passed her.

I walked into the master bedroom, where the quiet of the house seemed to gather.

I pulled a small black duffel bag from the closet and began packing my uniforms.

I kept them in a locked garment bag in the back, untouched by the dust of the house.

As I folded a crisp, olive-green jacket with the stars on the shoulders, my personal phone buzzed in my pocket.

It was not my military device.

It was my personal cell phone, the one Daniel’s family used to reach me.

The screen lit up with a call from Marcus, Daniel’s younger brother.

I let it go to voicemail and continued packing.

Ten seconds later, the phone buzzed again, this time with a text message from Marcus.

*Rachel, please pick up. The bank just called. They said our line of credit has been frozen.*

I set the phone on the dresser, face up, and watched the screen.