Bear nodded once. “Three tours in Afghanistan. He saved my life. I saved his. We were brothers in every way but blood.”
The officer cleared his throat. “This says you have legal visitation rights.”
Bear’s voice cracked slightly as he went on. “Before they took him away, he made me promise. Promise that Lily would never forget he loved her. Promise she’d hear stories about him as the hero he really was—not the broken man the world saw.”
Lily looked up from her crayons. “Daddy said Uncle Bear cried when I was born,” she said solemnly.
Bear smiled faintly. “Had something in my eye, kiddo.”
“You cried,” she insisted, grinning.
The officers handed back the papers. “We’re sorry for the misunderstanding, sir. Thank you for your service.”
But Bear wasn’t done.
A Lesson for Everyone Watching
Continue reading…