I took my son to visit my husband, the commander, but the guard blocked us at the gate and said, “His girlfriend is inside the unit. No visitors!” I covered my son’s ears, called my second brother, and

the days with museums, baseball games, and expensive gifts.

Eventually, something shifted.

One Saturday, Ethan returned with no gift at all.

“What did you do?” Olivia asked.

“We ate sandwiches,” Ethan said. “Then Dad said he was sorry without explaining why it wasn’t his fault.”

Olivia remained expressionless.

“How did that feel?”

Ethan shrugged.

“Weird. But continue reading …