The door swung open. Dad entered the room. With barely a nod toward the others, he stalked toward me. His expression was unreadable. He’d always had my back, but I wasn’t sure how he felt today. Many people said I not only resembled him with my dark hair, tall frame, and amber eyes but also his character. He gripped my shoulder and looked me in the eyes, then he squeezed and gave a slight nod. “I’m here.”

