Page 230 of Seasons of War
Father blamed this discrepant treatment on Andi being the youngest, but that wasn't why he feared her going to war or one day leading their military. Andi was half a foot shorter than her brothers and plenty slimmer, and their father only saw that. Not her speed, her wit, her expert marksmanship.
Mom believed in her and fought for her to live the life she wanted.
He looked over at his sister holding the cat with reddened, dry eyes. Would she do what the Riven men before her failed to do? While Zayne fought the Phaedra in the territories, would she take their father's place and use the position for good?
But what did it mean to stand on the opposite side of the war as his baby sister? While she didn't share Luke's calculating coldness, she never showed signs of Mom's rebellious compassion. Zayne didn't actually know what went through Andi's mind.
Her blue eyes met his. “I should have come home more,” she said.
Zayne squeezed her arm. “No. Mom was proud of you, and she knew you loved her. She wanted you to be first in your class. You're doing what you need to get there.”
Andi's head lowered. “She means more than first in the class.”
“She does. You can't be High General without being first, though, and Mom believed in you.”
Her eyes widened.
“You're becoming stiff competition for us,” Zayne said.
Andi smiled and looked over at Luke. “Hear that?”
No humor filled Luke's tone. “Father will be here soon. He's already discussed pulling you from the Academy. Be careful what you say.”
“That's not fair.” Andi set the cat down. “I'm a year from graduating.”
“Mom is dead.”
“I'm not.”
Shit. Zayne didn't know Father said any of that.
Luke crossed his arms. “Don't worry. I'm dealing with him.”
“Zayne gets cut up in the north, and they give him double seals and a year-long tour. My mom dies, and I'm kicked out of school.” A shocked look came over Andi's face, and she wheeled around to face him. “I'm sorry. I—”
“Don't be,” Zayne said. “You're right. It's not fair.”
Seeing Andi lose her composure encouraged him. He didn't want her to be broken like the rest of them.
“Listen to Luke,” Zayne said. “He knows how to manage Father.” As much as he hated complimenting Luke, it was true, and he didn't want to see Andi hurting more than she already was.
They fell quiet long enough for the grief to fester between them. While Luke and Zayne would never share their pain with one another, it wasn't like that with Andi. They loved her. So after a few minutes, their older brother looked at her. “Mom would be cooking bacon right now for you.”
Andi laughed at that, her eyes not quite as dry. “She always cooks more than I can eat.”
“Because you never outgrow being bacon girl.” Zayne smiled, eyes on the tree outside.
Even Luke smiled at that. Andi loved bacon so much as a little girl that she stole slices off everyone's plate when they weren't looking and made herself sick with it.
“Do you remember that one summer…” Zayne chuckled, thinking about it. “Mom was so happy we all had a break at the same time that year.”
“Oh yeah,” Andi said. “The good summer.”
Luke nodded. “She made bacon every single morning for three weeks. I felt sick from the smell of bacon for the next year.”
“I didn't get tired of it.” Andi covered her mouth, giggling at herself. “I only pretended to because I was embarrassed after you all teased me.”
Their brother wiped his eyes. “She loved us all so much. I would be the worst father if she didn't teach me to be a good parent.”
