offense.
“What the fuck does that mean, Jessica?”
She had frowned at him, looking up from the leg she’d been re-bandaging.
“Just what I said and don’t curse at me,” she had warned him in a hard tone. He had never used coarse language like that with her in the past...at least not in anger.
“Look, I’m sorry, but talk to me. You used to be able to tell me anything.”
She had refrained from reminding him that that had been six years ago, thinking that it probably wouldn’t help given that she was the reason for the long separation and the painfully evident emotional distance.
“I know that.” She had turned from his with a sigh.
“What? You don’t trust me with the information?”
Jessica had turned back toward Tyson.
“I have always trusted you, Tyson. You know that.”
“You sure? You walked away without being honest with me. You say you want to tell me what happened, but you won’t. Doesn’t seem much like trust, Jess.”
“Have you considered that maybe I don’t know how to tell you? That I’m just barely holding on here? I know it seems simple to you, Tyson. Like I can just shout it out and get it over with. But, it’s not an easy thing. It’s not an easy thing to think about, much less tell.”
He seemed to sense she was upset, and had reluctantly decided to let it go.
“At least tell me what you’ve been doing all these years. How did you end up in the enlisted ranks?”
She had looked at him for a minute - quiet and unsure if he had been hedging bets for more.
“Come on, Jessica. Give me something.”
Jessica had hesitated, but eventually she had started talking and found she wanted him to know about her life since being with him.
“I, um, went back to school after...after I was home for a while. Actually, the next fall I went to Georgia Southern. Had my hours transferred and really didn’t have to do much leveling until I got into my major. Almost everything counted toward the degree. I finished up in Biology-Pre-med. I decided on that, ah...a few months after I left the Academy.”
“But why enlist? You got a degree. Why didn’t you try to go through a ROTC program at Georgia Southern or some kind of OCS?”
Jessica had known he didn’t understand why she would not have tried to become an officer candidate. She hadn’t really known how to explain it to him, but she had tried.
“I wanted to be in the Army. You know that it’s something I’ve wanted since I was a kid. And at that time, I, um, needed to get away. I needed something to focus on. So, I enlisted. Did Basic. Trained to be a combat life saver.” She had directed her gaze to him.
“How did your grandmother take it? I’d guess she was thrilled you left the Academy. She never wanted you in the military. I can’t imagine her being happy to see you sign up after having left West Point.”
“She wasn’t as thrilled about me being back home as you might think. But you’re right, enlisting didn’t help our relationship any,” Jessica had stated.
“An your dad?”
“Daddy was...fine with whatever decision I made.”
“You’ve obviously worked hard. Making Sergeant in what seems like a pretty quick progression. And you’re soon to be considered for E-6. Why not train for officer status?”
“I don’t really want it.” She had continued on at his look of frustrated confusion. “Look, I don’t regret it. There are things I regret, Tyson, but being an enlisted Soldier instead of a commissioned officer is not one of them. I love what I do. One day, I’ll go to medical school, maybe even after this tour, but for now I’m happy with my job.”
“And your life, Jessica? Are you happy with that?” Tyson had asked.
“Sometimes,” Jessica had said softly. She had looked at him closely. “Other times, there are things I wish I could change.” She had paused before asking, “Are you, Tyson? Are you happy with your life?”
Tyson
“What the fuck does that mean, Jessica?”
She had frowned at him, looking up from the leg she’d been re-bandaging.
“Just what I said and don’t curse at me,” she had warned him in a hard tone. He had never used coarse language like that with her in the past...at least not in anger.
“Look, I’m sorry, but talk to me. You used to be able to tell me anything.”
She had refrained from reminding him that that had been six years ago, thinking that it probably wouldn’t help given that she was the reason for the long separation and the painfully evident emotional distance.
“I know that.” She had turned from his with a sigh.
“What? You don’t trust me with the information?”
Jessica had turned back toward Tyson.
“I have always trusted you, Tyson. You know that.”
“You sure? You walked away without being honest with me. You say you want to tell me what happened, but you won’t. Doesn’t seem much like trust, Jess.”
“Have you considered that maybe I don’t know how to tell you? That I’m just barely holding on here? I know it seems simple to you, Tyson. Like I can just shout it out and get it over with. But, it’s not an easy thing. It’s not an easy thing to think about, much less tell.”
He seemed to sense she was upset, and had reluctantly decided to let it go.
“At least tell me what you’ve been doing all these years. How did you end up in the enlisted ranks?”
She had looked at him for a minute - quiet and unsure if he had been hedging bets for more.
“Come on, Jessica. Give me something.”
Jessica had hesitated, but eventually she had started talking and found she wanted him to know about her life since being with him.
“I, um, went back to school after...after I was home for a while. Actually, the next fall I went to Georgia Southern. Had my hours transferred and really didn’t have to do much leveling until I got into my major. Almost everything counted toward the degree. I finished up in Biology-Pre-med. I decided on that, ah...a few months after I left the Academy.”
“But why enlist? You got a degree. Why didn’t you try to go through a ROTC program at Georgia Southern or some kind of OCS?”
Jessica had known he didn’t understand why she would not have tried to become an officer candidate. She hadn’t really known how to explain it to him, but she had tried.
“I wanted to be in the Army. You know that it’s something I’ve wanted since I was a kid. And at that time, I, um, needed to get away. I needed something to focus on. So, I enlisted. Did Basic. Trained to be a combat life saver.” She had directed her gaze to him.
“How did your grandmother take it? I’d guess she was thrilled you left the Academy. She never wanted you in the military. I can’t imagine her being happy to see you sign up after having left West Point.”
“She wasn’t as thrilled about me being back home as you might think. But you’re right, enlisting didn’t help our relationship any,” Jessica had stated.
“An your dad?”
“Daddy was...fine with whatever decision I made.”
“You’ve obviously worked hard. Making Sergeant in what seems like a pretty quick progression. And you’re soon to be considered for E-6. Why not train for officer status?”
“I don’t really want it.” She had continued on at his look of frustrated confusion. “Look, I don’t regret it. There are things I regret, Tyson, but being an enlisted Soldier instead of a commissioned officer is not one of them. I love what I do. One day, I’ll go to medical school, maybe even after this tour, but for now I’m happy with my job.”
“And your life, Jessica? Are you happy with that?” Tyson had asked.
“Sometimes,” Jessica had said softly. She had looked at him closely. “Other times, there are things I wish I could change.” She had paused before asking, “Are you, Tyson? Are you happy with your life?”
Tyson
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