I stood there, the courtroom’s silence pressing in from all sides. Memories of past missions and the weight of the Navy uniform filled the air with a reverent tension. Despite the courtroom’s formality, I felt like I was back in the field, poised on the precipice of something critical.
“Your Honor,” I began, my voice steady with the confidence that years of service had instilled in me, “I did not abandon my family or the property. My absence was due to my service, and I have continuously ensured the upkeep of the house through direct payments for its taxes and necessary maintenance.”
My father’s gaze remained hard, unyielding, but I could see the slight tremble in his hand, a sign of the internal conflict he refused to show. My mother, however, clenched her pearls tighter, her expression a mixture of confusion and lingering disappointment.
