He did tell me he was the youngest out of all of you. And I'm trying not to but...some days are harder than others. [A shrug. He'll pocket the letter away even as he takes a sip of his sake.] I don't like losing even though I know it's inevitable. I know we have to make some sacrifices and some casualties will occur. But getting everyone else on board with that...that's the other problem.

I'm glad he was spared, too. But I think we're all scared even if we aren't saying it. ["And the worst part is we wouldn't even know until it's way too late."] ...even if it doesn't feel like it, we're getting better. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or your brother if I can help it.