Page 142 of Commander’s Mate

To the ability to stand before people who remembered who you had been.

“I will leave a door open.”

Harper squeezed my hand.

“That’s a good answer.”

“I dislike good answers.”

“I know.”

“They are usually expensive.”

“That’s freedom.”

I looked at her.

She did not smile.

The sentence deserved seriousness.

We moved farther into the room.

At one shelf, a woman sat alone on the floor beneath a name marked MISSING.

Harper lowered her voice.

“Should we leave?”

“No.”

The woman looked up and saw me.

She rose automatically.

“Commander.”

“Sit.”

She hesitated.

I corrected myself.

“If you prefer.”

Her mouth moved faintly.

She sat again.

Harper noticed.

Of course she did.

The woman’s gaze moved to Harper.

“This is Harper Avery.”

“Solmatu.”