She embraced the visibly exhausted Jacob, despite his meticulous appearance.

“Jacob, you’ve finally come to your senses.”

Jacob mechanically patted her back, his expression cold.

“Now I knew. The one I love is you. Let’s get married.”

On the day of Jacob and Barbara’s wedding, my parents’ photos were appeared in the news.

In front of the TV, a child pointed at the uniformed figures on the screen.

“Mom, who are they? What does it mean when their badges are retired permanently?”

The woman gently stroked the child’s soft hair.

“They are heroes. When their photos are made public, it means their direct descendants for three generations are gone…”

“Mom,...