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in the bathroom near the sink, so she would have something to help her keep her balance.
    “Thank you,” Jasmine said not making eye contact.
    Ethan walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
    “Did you ever say whether you had a brother?” Nicole asked teasingly.
    “My only brothers are my Marine brothers,” Ethan responded. Why do you ask?”
    “You are well mannered, you have a way of putting people at ease without really trying, and I think it is just your way. You are handsome, and quite frankly a knight in shining armor. Ladies dig that,” Nicole said chuckling.
    “Thank you, Nicole,” Ethan said, realizing that teasing and having fun was kind of Nicole’s thing.
    “No thank you,” Nicole responded in turn. Nicole started to change the sheets and pillowcases for Donna.
    Alena walked into the room followed by a little toddler; a handsome little boy who reminded Ethan of someone.
    Nicole looked up, from making the bed. “Trevor,” she called out to the little boy. “Oh my, he has gotten so much bigger since the last time I saw him.” Nicole was now hugging the little boy tight. She kept talking in happy tones, but asked of Alena who was busy setting a small table, “You know that you are playing with fire don’t you?”
    “Yes. But I am going to set this table and Trevor and I will be out of here. Now is not the time, I know he doesn’t need any distractions. So I won’t distract him. Please finish with that and help me get the table set and the food displayed on the plates please. Then I will leave and be back a little later,” Alena said.
    Ethan looked hard at the little boy, who reminded him of his friend and brother Trenton Jamal Blake-Moore.
    He looked from each lady then back to the little boy. Then he asked, “How old is your son?”
    “He is three years old,” Alena answered.
    This was Trenton’s son. He had been conceived, the night before they had left for Afghanistan, when they had had too much wine. Oh my goodness. Ethan’s mind was racing, there is no way that Trenton knows he has a son and wasn’t taking care of him.
    “When are you planning on telling him that he has a son?” Ethan asked accusingly.
    “Change your tone, Ethan,” Alena said curtly. “I wrote Trenton, I tried to call, but he didn’t respond. He wasn’t interested in me or our child apparently. This is the first time that he has returned here since you all were deployed. He barely calls his own mother and father or his siblings. I was stupid enough to be his good time girl before he left, and we made a beautiful child. I stepped up to the plate and did what I had to for myself and my child since Trenton Jamal Blake-Moore was clearly uninterested in doing so. So I do not give you permission to look down your nose at me,” Alena said clearly irritated.
    “I am sorry Alena, but you got to believe me when I say that Trent doesn’t know,” Ethan pleaded.
    “I wrote him letters, they weren’t returned. I tried to call but it’s not the kind of thing you leave on a voicemail message. How can he not know?” Alena asked.
    “We didn’t open mail over there. It just made us home sick and sometimes if we were too homesick we weren’t focused. Some of us never received mail over there because we didn’t have anyone back home that was waiting for us. So we just didn’t open them. It was a team decision. When all were pretty messed up when we got back home, physically, emotionally and even a little mentally if I am to be completely honest. Trenton is a good, honorable man. He wouldn’t want his son to be raised without him. You need to tell him,” Ethan said matter of factly.
    “I will,” said Alena, “When the time is right.”
    “No, today or tomorrow, or I will,” Ethan said.
    Alena knew that he would by the look in his eyes, she nodded.
    Jasmine, walked out of the bathroom. She had heard the latter part of the conversation. She walked over to where Nicole was holding Trevor. She used