Her father—now Staff Sergeant Marcus Reed—was everything to her. He wasn’t flashy or talkative. His face was serious, his eyes always alert, shaped by experiences he never fully talked about. After an accident overseas, he had become quieter, more watchful, as if part of him was always still on duty.
But with Lily, he was different. Gentle. Patient. The man who sat beside her doing homework, who read stories at night even when exhaustion weighed on him.
Inside her folder were drawings—carefully made pictures of her father in uniform and Rex, the K9 who worked beside him. Rex, a strong Belgian Malinois with a scar along his side, wasn’t just a dog. He was family.
When Lily stepped into class, she could feel her teacher—now Ms. Allison Harper—watching her.
When it was her turn, Lily stood again, her heart pounding.
As she began explaining her father’s work, Ms. Harper interrupted, eyebrow raised. “Where did you learn all of this, Lily?”
“My dad told me,” Lily answered, gripping the folder tighter.
Ms. Harper flipped through the pages, unimpressed. “That’s a lot for a Marine. Are you sure you’re not confusing this with something from television?”
“No, ma’am,” Lily whispered.