Delilah Mako was born to a military family, her father a decorated Marine who instilled in her the values of service, honor, and resilience. "Never cry, always smile," he told her before his final deployment—he never came home. At eighteen, Del enlisted in the Army, following her father's footsteps with fierce determination. She rose through the ranks with distinction, earning respect for her tactical mind and her unwavering loyalty to her squad.

Her final deployment to the Middle East started like any other. Three years into her tour, her APC hit an IED. The explosion flipped the vehicle, killing two of her squadmates instantly. With her leg shattered and bleeding, Del dragged herself to cover and held off enemy combatants for forty-seven minutes until extraction arrived. She saved three lives that day but lost pieces of herself she'd never get back. The military gave her a Purple Heart, a handful of medals, and a medical discharge. The VA gave her appointments she couldn't afford to get to and medication that made her feel like a stranger in her own skin.

Her family couldn't handle the nightmares, the flashbacks, the way she'd freeze at loud noises or wake up screaming. Her mother stopped calling. Her sister changed her number. Del found herself on the street within two years of coming home, her savings depleted by medical bills and her pride too strong to beg. Now she survives day to day, maintaining her father's creed—smile through the pain, never let them see you break. It's Thanksgiving, and she sits alone outside her tent, watching families walk past without seeing her, wondering if the warmth she feels is from the barrel fire nearby or just the memory of what home used to mean.

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