zahir lets out a quiet huff of amusement at her comment, shaking his head lightly like he’s already uncomfortable with the idea of his life sounding impressive out loud. “honestly, i kinda lucked into most of it,” he says, tone grounded and sincere in that way that makes it hard to tell if he fully believes his own accomplishments matter all that much. “had a high school advisor who pushed west point hard after i started doing decent in school. figured i’d try it.” his shoulders lift slightly in an understated shrug. “then after my second tour, a buddy recommended nypd and i stuck with it.” he says it plainly, leaving out the harder details in between. the reasons structure appealed to him so much, the years spent trying to make himself useful enough to justify staying anywhere. after a brief pause, he adds more quietly, “i was in the system too.” the admission comes easy but brief, like he’s offering understanding rather than turning the conversation toward himself. “so i get some of it. at least enough to know it doesn’t leave people untouched.” his gaze stays steady on her, compassionate without turning pitying. he knew enough about foster care to understand how much separation could carve into people, especially siblings. he couldn’t imagine finally finding them again after nearly two decades and trying to figure out where to even begin. the mood stays light enough though, and he’s grateful for that. he didn’t come here to pry open old wounds. he just wanted to know the people who mattered to thalia. a faint smile pulls at the corner of his mouth when savannah admits she wouldn’t be talking to him if she thought he was a prick. “good to know i passed the initial screening,” he replies dryly, fingers tapping once against the coffee cup in front of him. then his expression softens again, quieter this time. “for what it’s worth, i don’t think there’s a right way to reconnect with somebody after that much time.” his eyes flick briefly toward the window before returning to her. “seventeen years is a long time to miss pieces of somebody’s life.” there’s no judgment in the statement, only understanding. “but she’s really happy you’re here.” and that part, at least, he knows for certain. he leans back slightly after a moment, easing the heaviness before it settles too deep between them. “besides,” he adds with a small grin, “you’re already handling this better than most people handle finding out a detective’s dating their sister.”