Chapter 15: Home Leave

Hannah's POV

Broderick came down the walk with his arms open, as if he were meeting a plane.

"Han," he said. "God, look at you."

I got out of the truck and stood with the door between us.

Nolan came around and stopped at my shoulder, not touching me, just there.

"Fitch." Broderick clapped him on the arm, grinning. "You old dog. Thanks for keeping her company."

"She didn't need company," Nolan said.

"She never does. That's what I love about her."

He said it to me, warm and sincere, and I understood that this was the version of him the board would meet.

He had shaved, and pressed his shirt, and brought flowers for the occasion.

They lay on the hood of the rental car, yellow tulips in a gas station sleeve.

"I'm here for four days," he said. "Pre-board leave, Captain's orders. I thought we could do this like adults."

"We're doing it on the step?"

"I thought we could start on the step."

"I came for my shoebox," I said.

"Of course." He moved aside. "It's yours. Everything in there's yours. I'd never touch it."

I went in.

The unit smelled of stale coffee and Shelby's lemon cleaner.

The shoebox was under the bed, where I had left it, with its lid on and the corner dented.

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