Chapter 4: The Image Refuses to Stay Local
By the second morning in Annapolis the photograph had moved beyond the original parenting-group tags. A regional account that specialized in “unconfirmed sightings” of military officers had picked it up, pairing the image with a short post that identified Marcus by rank and recent assignment. Comments shifted from speculation about a private family trip to questions about why a Coast Guard commander was flying commercial with a woman and child who did not appear in any prior public record. I read only enough to confirm the direction of the attention, then closed the apps. Clara needed formula and a walk. Sarah needed reassurance that the guest-room arrangement was not about to attract reporters to her quiet street. I supplied the formula and the walk. The reassurance was harder to give with conviction.
