The room was silent, the kind of silence that presses against your ears, amplifying the pounding of your heart. Lily looked at General Sterling, her eyes wide, tears momentarily forgotten. Her small hand found its way into his gloved one, trusting and hopeful.
“He made me promise,” the General continued, his voice imbued with warmth and solemnity, “that I would be here for you. That if he couldn’t make it, I would take his place.”
Brenda’s sneer had been replaced by a pale, stunned expression. The rest of the room was equally immobile, the cruel reality of the situation finally seeping into their bones. No one had expected such a grand and poignant gesture, certainly not from a group of men whose lives were dedicated to the defense of their country.
