Darien nodded. She wasn’t quite sure what to say.
“You can crossover at your same rank to either administration, logistics, supply, communications, retention, or training. Any of those MOSs I just listed would keep you at the same rank/rate of pay. You would need little to no training, depending on which one you chose.”
Darien swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Now, knowing you personally, I think retention could be good. You could always rotate out of that after a while, or training. You’re one of the best section leaders I’ve ever seen. You’d make one hell of a drill instructor. I don’t know how connected you are here in California, but you’d have to transfer to Parris Island and move across the country. You could also stay here with the Camp Pendleton School of Infantry as a marksmanship instructor, but I personally think combat instructor has your name written all over it. If you can’t be part of an LAV battalion anymore, why not train those want to be in your shoes as LAV Crewman and officers of LAV platoons? You know that job inside and out and you can do it right here.”
Darien nodded.
“You already have fourteen years in and have had a very rewarding career, but if you sign on for another six, you will probably retire at E7 or E8, which is an outstanding career for an enlisted Marine. That’s something to think about as well. Go out on your own terms and at the top of your game.”
“You’ve definitely given me a lot to think about,” she said honestly. “Do you mind if I take a few days to mull this over?”
“No. This is your life and your career. You decide what’s best for you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
She walked out of his office with a blank look on her face. She’d never felt such extreme highs and lows in a matter of fifteen minutes. She felt like she was going to puke as she started her car and drove away.
***
Darien spent the next two days walking along the sand and listening to the waves while she tried to decide what to do with her life. It made her think of Courtney. She wondered what she’d say about the decision. She knew Val would tell her not to start over, so she hadn’t bothered calling her. Darien’s family was completely against her going back into the service at all. Even though she’d never be in combat again, they were happy to have her home, living the civilian life.
She hadn’t done much financially in the last fourteen years except purchase her house and restore her Mustang, but being out of work for a year was starting to impact her savings account. She needed to go back to work at some point. There was nothing she’d rather do than wear that uniform again and she knew it, but there was absolutely no way she was taking a desk job. Moving across the country was out of the question as well.
She smiled, thinking Capt. Yarborough had known her all too well and had probably already started the paperwork for her to reenlist with the new MOS as a Combat Instructor. She picked up a small rock and tossed it out into the ocean as far as she could.
Darien was feeling the weight lifting from her shoulders. She’d made her decision, which had actually taken very little effort once she really thought about what mattered most to her. If she couldn’t be on the frontlines, leading a recon mission and doing what she loved, then she’d do her damndest to train the Marines who would fill her shoes.
She sat down in the thick sand, pulled her phone from her pocket, and called the number in her contacts for Capt. Yarborough’s office.
***
As soon as she’d hung up with the captain, she called Val to give her the good news, which Val wasn’t too happy about, but she’d told her she loved her and stood behind her decision.
Then she made the call to her parents that she’d been dreading. Her mother cried, but she felt a little better knowing that Darien would be safe because she’d never physically be anywhere near another war. Both her parents and Val had asked for the reenlistment date so they could be there to witness her being sworn in again. She’d told them it was set for Wednesday of the following week. She’d also said there would probably be media there. News of her return to the Marine Corps was a big deal. After everything she’d gone through in the last year, the Marine Corps wanted people to know how honored they were to have her back and to showcase the incredible amount of heart and dedication Darien had for her country.
Finished with all of her conversations, Darien locked the screen on her phone and leaned back on her elbow to watch the sunset. In less than a week’s time, she’d no longer be a retired veteran. The sound of active duty Marine sounded a hell of a lot better.
Chapter 25
Beverly watched Courtney move around her bed, straightening the blankets after giving her a much needed sponge bath. She’d had another setback and barely had the strength to sit up. Courtney had purchased a beside toilet a few days earlier, allowing for easier access since she could barely walk a few steps without getting too winded to breathe.
She’d noticed a difference in her demeanor since she’d come back from California. They hadn’t talked much about the impromptu trip, but there was no denying the sadness in her eyes.
“You miss her, don’t you?” Beverly murmured breathlessly.
“What was that?” Courtney asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Do you need me to freshen your drink?”
“No.” Beverly cleared her throat, trying to catch her breath. “I said you miss her. I can see it all over your face.”
Courtney shrugged. “You can’t miss something you never really had to begin with.” She patted Beverly’s hand. “Darien’s life is in California—in a Marine uniform. Mine’s here on this farm—with you. Nothing will ever change that.” She stood up. “Get some rest. I’ll make you some soup in a little bit.”
“Courtney,” Beverly said with a raspy voice.
She spun around and walked back over to the edge of the bed. “Do you need anything else?” Courtney asked softly.
“When I’m…gone…live your life.”
Courtney smiled and patted her hand.
“This was always…Janice’s life,” she gasped. “If you love Darien…run to her…and live…Courtney’s life.”
Courtney wiped the tears from her cheek.
“Promise…me,” Beverly rasped.
Courtney nodded and bent down, kissing her cheek. “I promise,” she whispered.
Then, she walked out of the room before the waterfall of tears began rushing down her face. Losing Janice was the hardest thing she’d ever dealt with, and Beverly had been there to help her through that. Now, she was losing Beverly, and the only person she wanted comfort from was on the other side of the country. The only thing she’d known since was twenty years old was that farm and Beverly was right. It had been Janice’s life, but it was also hers.
Chapter 26
On Tuesday, Darien had her hair cut early. Later that afternoon, she picked up the pants and jacket of her Dress Blue uniform from the dry cleaners, where she’d had it cleaned and pressed. The last time she’d worn it, she was being awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart in front of her entire battalion.
She hung the midnight blue colored jacket with red trim on the back of the bathroom door. Then, she meticulously pinned her ribbon board over the left chest, along with her Rifle Expert Badge, which she placed under the board. She added the gold Marine Corps, Eagle Globe Anchor insignia to both sides of the standing collar. Then, she took the sky blue pants with the red, non-commissioned officer stripe down the sides and hung them both in the front of her closet door. Finally, she removed her stark, white cover from its protective box and placed it on the nearby shelf, next to her pristinely polished black shoes.
In less than twenty-four hours, she’d be on active duty again. She was nervous and excited at the same time. She looked at her uniform one last time, feeling pride course through her veins.
After closing the closet door, she walked across the house to the kitchen. She noticed the blue light blinking in the corner of her phone, indicating she had a missed call. Sh
e swiped her finger over the screen and Ernie’s name came up. He hadn’t left a voicemail, so she quickly called him as she sat down on the couch.
“Hello?” he answered after a couple of rings.
“Ernie? It’s Darien Hollister. Did you call me?”
The phone was silent for a minute.
“Are you there?” she asked.
“Yes. Sorry, I needed to walk outside.” He cleared his throat. “I was calling to tell you that Beverly passed away last night.”
“Oh, my God,” Darien gasped.
“She went peacefully,” he added. “Jason is beside himself, so Courtney made all of the arrangements. She’s trying to be strong, but I know this is difficult for her.”
Darien felt so bad for Courtney and the only thing she could think of was holding her. “When is the funeral?” she questioned.
“It’s tomorrow at 11:30a.m.”
Darien grabbed a pen and a piece of paper. “What’s the name of the cemetery?”
“It’s not at the cemetery. She’s being cremated today and there will be a memorial service tomorrow on the farm where her ashes will be scattered. This is the same thing they did when Janice died.”
“Okay.”
Darien finally let the tears flow from her eyes when she ended the call. So much had changed in her life because of Beverly and her family. She wanted nothing more than to be there with them. She picked up the phone and called Capt. Yarborough’s office and left a message with his assistant that she’d had a death in the family and had to travel out of state immediately, so she needed to move her swear-in date back. Capt. Yarborough called her back a few minutes later to give her his condolences and let her know they’d moved the date back to the following Monday, but couldn’t push it any further because she needed to go through a two-week training process before the new recruits came in. Darien completely understood and told him she would be there, along with her family.
She quickly got online to research flights. The only one that would get her there on time flew out of San Diego later that evening and arrived in Cedar Rapids at nine the next morning, after a two and a half hour layover in Chicago. Darien quickly booked the flight and a rental car from the airport.
After that, she called Val and her parents to let them know that the swear-in ceremony had been pushed back to Monday. They were all sorry to hear about Beverly’s passing, and her parents said they’d change their flight. Darien told them to change it to Thursday and Val would drive them up to Oceanside since they were flying into San Diego. That way, they could spend the whole weekend together, which was something they hadn’t done in a long time.
***
Later that evening, Darien looked at the uniform that was hanging in her closet, awaiting one of the biggest days of her life. Knowing there was no better way to honor Beverly and their time together, she began removing the jacket and pants from their hangers. Since she was flying all night and going straight to the service, she wouldn’t have time to stop and change clothes, so she had to fly in her uniform—something she’d never done before.
When she’d finally finished dressing, Darien turned around and looked in the mirror, gasping when she saw herself again for the first time in over a year. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She was overcome with grief for the tragedy that took her sight along with three men’s lives. She also felt heavily honored for the privilege to be able to wear that uniform once again. She stood up straight and wiped away the tears.
***
The hustle and bustle of the airport was almost nonexistent at nine o’clock at night as Darien walked through the security checkpoint. She showed her military ID and was escorted around the scanning machines since the metal on her uniform would cause the detectors to go off. She noticed a few stares as she made her way down to the course where her gate was located. The plane was scheduled to take off in less than an hour, so she sat down away from the crowd of people who were also getting onto her flight.
The woman closest to her had tried to make small talk, but when Darien informed her that she was on her way to a funeral, the woman politely gave her condolences and went back to the book she was reading.
When the initial boarding call began, everyone at the gate stood up and turned their attention to Darien. A flight attendant taking the same flight stepped over to her.
“They’re waiting for you to board first,” she whispered.
“Why is that?” Darien asked.
“Respect.” She smiled.
Darien nodded and stood up straight as she walked past everyone. She crossed the threshold onto the plane and checked her ticket for the coach class seat number.
“Ma’am,” the captain held his hand out. “It’s a pleasure to be your pilot this evening.”
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“Your seat is this way,” the flight attendant next to him said, waving her hand towards first class.
“My seat is number 23A,” Darien said to her.
“A first class passenger offered his seat to you.”
“Okay.” Darien nodded, slightly confused. She’d never been on a civilian airline while in uniform, so she was taken aback at the preferential treatment from this stranger. When she’d travelled back and forth from the Middle East to California on leave, she’d always flown on a military transport plane. “Please tell him I said thank you,” she murmured, sitting down in her new seat. She looked out the window at the tarmac, thinking about the reason she was on the plane in the first place and wiping a single tear from her cheek.
Chapter 27
Courtney sat in the front row of the gathering, with Jason next to her, holding her hand. Directly across from them was a small stand with a silver urn sitting in the middle and a large picture of Beverly next to it. Behind them were two more short rows of chairs, which were filled with Ernie and his wife, as well as employees from the dairy side of the farm and various other people who knew the family.
Darien arrived with a minute to spare and walked up with the last of the people who took their seats. She stood at attention behind the last row as the reverend began his speech. As he talked, she thought about Cpl. Davidson, Cpl. Leonard, and Cpl. Smith, the three men she’d lost. She was still in the hospital, recovering from her injuries when they’d all had their funerals. One of the first things she’d done when she got her sight back was visit their memorial sight on the base. They’d all been buried in Arlington National Cemetery, and she swore she’d go visit soon to pay her respects.
When the reverend ended his eulogy and said a prayer, he asked the family members to speak. Jason was too distraught, so he shook his head no, but Courtney stood and walked up next to him. She kissed her fingers, then placed them on the urn before turning around to face the small crowd of ten or so people. Her eyes immediately fixed on the person standing in the back, in the immaculate uniform. It was no doubt the only person she’d been wishing to see in the last twenty-four hours. She wiped away tears with a wadded up tissue as she spoke.
“Beverly was not only my mother-in-law, she was basically my mother too. She took me into her family with open arms, taught me a lot about love and about life. If she cared for you, you knew it because she never held anything back. We went through the hardest loss in our lives together when my wife Janice passed away tragically. I think that caused us to grow a bond like no other.” She sniffled, wiping more tears.
“When Beverly first got sick, I promised Janice that I’d be there for her if anything ever happened to her or Jason and I kept that promise, but it wasn’t a promise to me, it was privilege and a honor to be her caretaker. I loved her like she was my own mother.”
Courtney looked at the uniformed woman and smiled. “Over the past six months or so, a stranger came into our lives and made the two of us almost whole again without even realizing it.” She paused. “You held a very special place in Beverly’s heart and she told me when I saw you again, to tell you she loved you,” she said directly to Darien.
Da
rien nodded slightly, but kept her stance at attention.
Courtney turned to the urn and put her hand on it again.
“I love you, sweet woman. I know you’re up there right now with Janice, looking down.” She kissed her fingers and placed them on the urn once again.
Then, she walked up and grabbed Jason’s hand, tugging softly as he rose from his chair. Courtney held his hand as she picked up the urn.
“If you will all rise, the family would like to walk down the hill a little ways to let the ashes go in the wind, scattering over the fields and rolling hills of the property,” the reverend said.
Darien stayed in the back as the small group followed Jason and Courtney. When they reached the chosen spot, Jason kissed the side of the urn.
“I love you, mom. I promise to do you proud,” he whimpered.
Then, he and Courtney removed the lid and shook the ashes up into the air. The breeze carried the powdery substance off like a cloud of dust, before it disappeared. Jason placed the lid back on and turned around to receive the people who were waiting to give their condolences. Courtney sidestepped and rushed around everyone.
Jason and Ernie watched as she jumped into the arms of the woman in the Marine Corps. uniform. Ernie smiled and Jason shook his head. He had nothing but respect for her after Courtney returned from California and explained Darien’s true story to him and Beverly.
Second Chance Page 13
