A Soldier's Promise. Cynthia Thomason

offer some sort of explanation. He started to, but Carrie stood and reminded him again of his mistake.

      “You always say we shouldn’t bring this up.”

      “I know. Before, when I said that, I was concerned that people would ask questions about your mom and upset you,” Mike said. “Remember all the questions you got in California, all the forms we filled out? It wasn’t easy for you.”

      “No, it wasn’t, but now you just told my teacher!”

      “Yeah, well, all the secrecy doesn’t seem so important now.”

      Brenna stood and moved close to Carrie, making him feel seriously outnumbered. “Excuse me, Mike,” Brenna said, “but why wouldn’t you tell people about your wi...Carrie’s mother? It would seem to me—”

      Here she goes again. He held up his hand. “We didn’t move here to draw that kind of attention to ourselves. We don’t need anybody’s pity.”

      “Again, maybe I’m overstepping...”

      Since when did that stop you?

      “...but sincere sympathy is different from pity. And the people in this town—”

      “I know. You all have hearts of gold.” He regretted the sarcasm the minute he said it, but he didn’t want folks patting him on the back, offering artificial condolences and advising him how to raise his daughter. He’d figure it out on his own, even if it took him until she went off to college.