Neighbors soon gathered, offering cautious hugs and congratulations. Some clasped his hand warmly, while others kept their greetings short before hurrying away. He figured they were giving him space after deployment, though an odd undercurrent hung in the air—almost like an unfinished sentence everyone seemed too polite to speak aloud.
Emily stuck close to his side, chattering brightly about school projects and new friends. Then, with the artless seriousness of a child, she whispered, “Where’s my friend? I wanted him to meet Daddy.” Michael chuckled, assuming she meant a neighbor or a friend, but Sarah quickly cut in, changing the subject.