"If we were in our world, I would never risk your life. Ever. You're my son, Sean, and it's one time for me to put my life on the line on a daily basis, but I would never want to put you in danger. It's different if that's what you wanted to do, if it were your choice, but it wasn't," he said. "The best way I had to protect you was to stay away. Keeping you close would have ruined your life."
"Do you know how I live at home? I don't even use my real name, only the people at work know it. I have a different name every few months, I pretend to have a different job every few months. What do you think it would have happened if you were with me? You'd have to change names, schools, you'd never be able to have friends over, or tell them your real name, or go to the schools you wanted, because in a few months, you'd be moved somewhere else." He looked at his son. "Do you really think that it's the type of life I would have wanted for my children?" He cupped Sean's face, and sighed. "I didn't choose the job over you. I tried to balance the two the best I could, always keeping in mind what was best for you."
Sam sighed. "The real reason? You think it's so easy, don't you? I… I couldn't even come to terms with the fact that I like boys, men. It wasn't done, not in my neighborhood in the 80s, not in the Navy, not in my faith. Everything told me that there was something wrong with me, and I tried so hard to do what I was supposed to. I would have married your mother and we'd both would have been miserable, but she's too smart for that. Even without the Navy, I… I don't think I would have told anyone. I can't be sure, but- Maybe I'm not that brave, I don't know, but when Tamira told me about your first boyfriend, I didn't want you to grow up like I did, always feeling that you were doing something wrong. It was too late for me, but not for you. I didn't pick the Navy over you. I kept my sexuality a secret, because I wasn't comfortable with it for a long time, and because I didn't think it really involved my children. It wasn't as if there were any boyfriends, anyone serious. It would have been different if there were relationships involved, but sex? Really not your business, Sean."
He leaned against the counter. "My team changes all the time. People move, people die. I don't choose my team. I do my job. You – you and your sister – are my family and that never changes. Maybe I could have done things differently, maybe I should have spoken to you directly instead of getting all my information from your mother. You want to tell me that I'm a lousy father, then fine, but you can't say that I don't love you, and I'm asking you for a chance to show you, because I know I didn't, and I know it's my fault, my doing, but we have a chance to do it right, and maybe the circumstances sucks… no maybe about it, they suck, but I still have to believe that we can take this chance to make things better. I am sorry if I gave you the impression that I didn't love you. I am truly sorry, baby, because that's the furthest thing from the truth."