Part 5: Unbroken Peace
Six months later, the air at Fort Carson was crisp and clear as autumn settled over the mountains.
My credit profile remained entirely locked, secure behind layers of two-factor authentication, fraud alerts, and federal identity monitoring. The Englewood dealership had dropped their formal charges after my father paid a substantial administrative cancellation fee out of his own savings, forcing Britney to take a bus to a low-paying retail job and finally face the reality of her own choices.
My parents tried to send occasional text messages—timid, careful texts asking about the weather, my work, and when I might come home for the holidays.
