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brothers.
Anything other than that was the last thing on her mind. John Mark and his friend
Andy cornered her after school.
The whole class had signed his cast, but Kaylan didn’t want to encourage him. His
constant attention made her uncomfortable.
    Andy told her to sign John Mark’s cast or she couldn’t go home. Kaylan remembered
lifting her chin and trying to hurry past, but Andy caught her and pushed her into
the potted bush growing right next to the front door. Micah had materialized at her
side, his brown eyes burning with anger. He pulled her up, checked to make sure she
was okay, and then in one swift move turned around and gave Andy a black eye.
    Even as a middle schooler Micah deemed it “defending the defenseless” and his “constitutional
right” despite the principal’s counsel otherwise. He hadn’t changed much. She studied
him in the rearview mirror as he opened the door and grabbed his bag. He’d exchanged
his childhood superhero capes for the uniform of America’s elite, and he wore it
proudly. Much like his superheroes, he didn’t boast about his position. SEALs rarely
did. Their confidence came from their knowledge of their training and their trust
in one another. They were ready.
    Now Kaylan was here to see Micah off. It seemed a bit more real this time. In Alabama
she knew when Micah deployed, prayed for him while he was away, and talked with him
when he called. But now she was here to say good-bye. A lump formed in her throat
as he closed his car door. Nick sat next to her in the front, watching, waiting.
    Her door opened and Micah reached for her hand. “Time to say good-bye, sis.” Tears
pooled in her eyes, but she blinked them back as she unbuckled and stepped from the
car. Nick mirrored her movements on her other side, readying his bag.
    â€œBe safe.” Her voice cracked, but she cleared her throat quickly. “Take care of each
other.”
    As he pulled her into a hug, she realized that the two people she loved in California
would no longer be a phone call away. Panic built, but Micah’s arms around her held
her together, the way they always did when he defended her. Pride in him fought the
panic.
    â€œHey.” Micah held her away from him, leaning in close to see her eyes in the early
morning darkness. “We’ll see you soon. Don’t let David or Seth steal my place or
anything while I’m gone. We both know I’ll always be your favorite.”
    She couldn’t help but smile. “We’ll have to agree to disagree.”
    â€œHasn’t anyone ever told you that you should agree with everything a man says when
you send him off to war? You don’t want me distracted or worried now, do you?” He
crossed his arms over his chest, and she fought a smirk.
    â€œThat’s good to know. But I’m pretty sure you also taught me not to lie, so . . .
”
    Micah held a hand to his heart. “You’re killing me.” He smiled and his eyes wandered
behind him. It was time to go. He pulled her into a quick hug again and kissed the
top of her head. “Take care of the home front. We’ll catch ya on the flipside.” With
a brief nod to Nick, he jogged off to meet the rest of the guys.
    Kaylan took a deep breath, realizing that this good-bye would be much more difficult.
She stood still, refusing to look at him as the car door slammed, and she heard his
boots scuff the pavement as he approached. She leaned back against her car door,
her heart in her throat, wondering when Nick had become more important to her than
family. As important as, sure. But more important than the ones who were her heart
and soul? Not even Sarah Beth had ever claimed this degree of affection.
    Was she in love with him after all?
    He stood in front of her ready to leave, a clear testament to the dangers he would
soon face, but he never wavered in his resolve. She realized then that he had never
wavered in his