Hearing my father’s name spoken with such respect felt strange given the tension waiting for me at home. I probably should have stayed at a nearby motel to avoid the drama altogether.
I could have slipped into the hall, watched the ceremony from the shadows, and left before anyone noticed me. However, part of returning to a place like Oak Haven is paying the emotional toll required to see your family.
I stopped for a quick coffee at a small cafe on the main strip because I needed a moment to steady my nerves. The woman behind the counter stared at me for a long beat before her eyes widened in recognition.
“Is that you, Andrea?” she asked, sounding genuinely surprised that I had actually shown up.
“Hi, Miss Bev,” I replied as I reached for my drink.
Her eyes tracked the way I stood with my shoulders squared and my back perfectly straight. Two older men sitting at a corner table paused their conversation to watch me walk toward the door.
“I heard she quit the service,” one of them muttered loud enough for me to hear.
“She probably couldn’t handle the pressure,” the other man replied with a dismissive shrug.