Chapter 97

Stephano turned away, staring out the front window with tears welling up. He couldn't bring himself to face Patricia. There were no words, no answers that could ease her pain. His father had inflicted a deep wound, one that couldn't be healed by anything he could offer. Losing her dad over something so trivial, it tore their family apart. How do you fix that kind of brokenness from the outside? He was clueless. Despite all his education—psychology, sociology, you name it—none of it meant squat in the face of real-life heartache.

Angela sensed the tension in the car. "You guys alright?"

They both answered in unison, "No."

"Anything I can do?" Angela asked, concern in her voice.

Stephano replied bitterly, "Send us to some new planet where we can start over, without any family drama."

Angela chuckled. "You wonder why Jake and I are all about that Air Force life? We put up with crap pay, crappy housing,