He wishes he could tell her something better about the country they come from. There's plenty of good things about his city. About his country. The way it treats its soldiers, however, with far too many of them paranoid and homeless, left to fend for themselves as they struggle to make it through winter on the streets, does not rank very highly on Matthew's list.

And Frank is not just a veteran. None of them ever are. But he deserves a lot more than what he got when he came home.

"You've got his six," Matt reassures. "You're watching out for him where he can't see. Where it would hurt him the most. You found someone lost in the desert and you stopped to lend him a hand. You do a lot more for Frank than you realise."

Now whether he thinks it's healthy for Frank to be replacing his lost family members like this is another matter entirely, even if Matt doesn't believe that's what's happening here. He's going to be supportive of any positive, life-affirming endeavour Frank's undertaking.

"You're worth every bit as much as anyone else here. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."