Page 75 of Commander’s Mate

Harper moved to the table.

“Who gets told?”

I stared at her.

“The families.”

“Do they know?”

“No.”

“Are you going to tell them?”

The answer formed instantly: no.

Not until we knew.

Not until we could protect them from uncertainty.

Not until—

I stopped.

Harper saw it.

“What?”

“I was going to say no.”

“Why?”

“Because hope without certainty can be cruelty.”

“Yes.”

“You agree?”

“No.”

I frowned.

She sat across from me.

“Not telling them is also a decision. You’d be deciding what they can handle.”

“They have lost enough.”

“So have you.”

“That is different.”

“How?”

Because I was commander.

Because they trusted me.

Because I could shield—