“Those red marks on your neck,” Joey continues. “Nick said they’re from where you were abducted by aliens, but I think you were hurt.”

Gunner stops what he’s doing and turns to give his full attention to Joey. “Nick is wrong and you were right,” he says, his voice softening as he lowers himself to the floor and sits cross-legged so he’s eye level with Joey. “Would you like to see them?”

Joey nods slowly, earnest and cautious eyes staring at Gunner as if he’s not sure if he should be embarrassed that he asked.

“Sure,” Gunner says and proceeds to pull his shirt over his head. I’m used to what they look like so I don’t flinch at the sight of the angry, red scars. But there is something about seeing him there, shirtless and vulnerable, being stared at by eight little boys that makes them seem so devastating.

The reactions of the boys are a mixture of gasps and whoas, but Gunner just sits there as if it’s not a big deal to be sitting there and stared at.

“Do you have questions?” he asks softly.

“Do they hurt?”

“How did it happen?”

“Did you almost die?”

Questions are asked unabashedly as only kids can do, and Gunner spends time explaining to them. “They don’t really hurt anymore but they did when they happened and a long time afterward. I had to be in the hospital with lots of doctors to try and make sure I was going to heal properly.”

“How did it happen?” Robbie repeats his question.

“I was in an accident,” Gunner says. “There was an explosion on the side of the road and it hit my Humvee.”

“IED?” Gregory asks. It kills me that these boys use these terms so nonchalantly. It’s something they should never be so familiar with and yet . . . they are.

Gunner nods and meets his eyes. “Yes. An IED.”

There are more questions. Will they ever go away? Does he have metal plates under his skin? Is he embarrassed by them?

But it’s the last question spoken so very quietly that has both Ellie and me holding our breaths.

“Were you scared?” Joey asks in the softest of voices that has all of the kids turning to look at him—as if that’s the one unspoken question they all wondered about. And before Gunner can answer, Joey continues. “I bet my daddy was scared.”

My breath hitches at the question and at seeing Gunner motion for Joey to come closer. When he does, Gunner sits him on his knee and says so everyone can hear. “Yes, I was scared, but I knew your daddy, Joey. And I know he wasn’t scared. He was too busy thinking about you and your mommy and how much he loved you guys and how proud he was of you.”