" Mom !! " A heart - wrenching scream finally broke free from my throat . I collapsed beside the bed as my entire world crumbled . A wounded veteran with red eyes told me , " She stepped on a landmine trying to save a new recruit . She pushed him out of the way but didn't have time to ... " I don't know how long passed before my sobs turned into quiet whimpering . With shaking hands , I dialed a number I'd barely called in years . " Betty ? " I opened my mouth several times before I could make any sound . " Dad . " " Mom's dead . " There was a long silence on the other end of the line . After what felt like forever , I heard a very quiet response . " I know . " I attended Mom's funeral for the second time . It was raining again , and the coffin was covered with the flag again . But this time , the coffin held Mom's body , not just her uniform . Two headstones stood side by side. Silently telling the story of a goodbye that had been delayed for ten years . I wore my military dress uniform with a white flower pinned to my chest . I wasn't waiting for the game to end like I had ten years ago . This time , Mom was really dead . This time , Mom had truly come home . She was no longer a soldier who had to hide her identity , but a hero returning home with honor . Kesting forever in the land she'd protected . 1 gently placed a bouquet of lilies in front of the grave . For the first time in ten years , I called out in public " Mom . " This word weighed a thousand pounds . My voice was soft , but it took every ounce of strength I had Dad stepped forward , wanting to pat my shoulder , but his hand stopped halfway . hesitating " Betty " His voice was hoarse , then he said " I'm sorry for your loss Take care of yourself . " He paused , then said quietly . " Mrs. Hayes and I are getting divorced " 22:19 23.0 % From Beloved Daughter to Dead Burden'y Now Watch Your Perfect Family KURNI Chapter 8 I was silent for a few seconds , then responded flatly , " Okay . " Dad looked at my profile , and all the words he'd prepared got stuck in his throat , finally turning into a helpless sigh . I used the excuse that the military hospital was too busy and stayed in the barracks dormitory , rarely going home . Dad called many times asking me to come back , but I always found reasons to avoid it . Three years was enough time for the sharpest grief to settle into memories . I threw all my energy into work and became one of the best surgeons at the military hospital . Three years later , I got married . The groom was the young recruit Mom had saved with her life during that border mission . Fate had twisted two lives together in a way that was both cruel and tender . He'd been injured in a later mission and I'd been assigned to treat him - that's how we met and fell in love . 22:20