Every year, my husband strictly forbade any 4th of July celebrations in our home no flags, no fireworks, no sign of patriotism. I never pushed him to explain because his silence was firm and resolute. But this year, our two-year-old son, Caleb, asked a simple yet profound question at dinner: “Daddy, is it true you don’t want to celebrate the 4th because of your brother?” The mention of a brother shocked me since Eli always insisted he was an only child.

That same night, Eli left the house early without explanation. Unable to ignore the mystery, I searched his office and found an old photo album and letters revealing a close bond between Eli and a man named Mason a fellow soldier who wasn’t related by blood but was like a brother to him. Mason had died in a 4th of July explosion during their military service, and Eli’s refusal to celebrate was his way of mourning and honoring him.