the flowers.”
James threw his head back and laughed.
That was the last time I ever heard that laugh.
Several weeks later, his unit came under attack overseas.
Some soldiers were killed.
Others disappeared during the chaos.
James was listed as missing.
His closest friend, Adrian, eventually returned home.
One gloomy afternoon, he sat across from me in my parents’ living room, his military cap clutched between his hands.
For a long time, he couldn’t look at me.
Finally, he said quietly,
“I saw the explosion, Mary.”
He swallowed.
“I’m
