Chapter Nine.
Lyrical – Graduation.
Family Day dawned warm and sunny. I wore the blue sundress Jesse liked so much, and I took my place along the route of the Motivational Run.
I almost didn’t recognize him when he ran past with his platoon. In thirteen weeks, the handsome boy I’d known in high school turned into a man of unspeakable beauty.
It was as if something shifted inside of him. He’d always been a good person. Nonjudgmental. Kind. Protective. But now he was something more. He seemed to carry himself so differently. Like he had a new confidence about him.
Perhaps he would have ultimately grown into the person I saw before me now, but the Marines began a metamorphosis in him which would only make him an even better person.
Later, we sat in the bleachers and watched the troops assemble before us in their Service Alphas.
“You are released to your families!”
With permission to break ranks, Marines beelined for their families waiting along the parade deck. I worried Jesse wouldn’t be able to find me in the sea of people, but I should have known better.
“Sweetness!” His voice rang out as he approached the bleachers, his arm waved madly, and a huge smile stretched across his face.
The phrase “My heart skipped a beat” was a total cliché, yet I swore I felt mine do just that.
Before I knew it, I flew down the steps and launched myself into his arms. Our lips met, a hard pressure communicating happiness and relief that we held each other after our separation.
As we kissed, he hugged me tightly, rocking us back and forth, as if afraid I’d disappear if he let go or stood still.
Eventually, he slid me down his front, and our eyes met. “Aww, sweetness. Don’t cry.” His hands framed my face, his thumbs wiping away my tears.
“They’re happy tears,” I assured him. “I missed you so much.”
His arms wrapped around me and pulled me close again as we exchanged another kiss.
This one felt softer and deeper with a lot less desperation, but even more wonderful.
Jesse was never particularly demonstrative in public, other than the typical gentlemanly behaviors—holding open doors, helping me out of a vehicle, a hand to the small of my back when guiding me somewhere.
He would hold my hand, but kissing wasn’t something he seemed comfortable doing in public, so I soaked in the attention.
When he finally put me down, his eyes glanced around quickly, as if searching for anyone else he knew. For just a moment, the spark of excitement in his eyes dulled.
“They didn’t come, Jesse. I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“It’s okay.”
The smile he gave me didn’t reach his eyes. He still held anger at their ultimatum regarding me. I knew it still hurt that they so callously and easily pushed him aside when he didn’t fall in line with their plans for him.
I shared his anger. Not because of how they treated me.
But because of how they treated him, their own son.
My situation differed from his, but I had parents who allowed selfishness to supplant their love for me.
Mom left us. Dad took his own life. Neither of them thought about me when they made their decisions.
However, I’d come to terms with their choices a while ago.
“I didn’t really expect them to show up,” he admitted. “Part of me hoped maybe they would. It’s probably better they didn’t. It would have been uncomfortable for you, and besides that, I want nothing to take away from time with you.”
My eyes darted behind him and to the left, where Jamie stood patiently, allowing us our private reunion.
Peeling myself free of Jesse’s hold, I stepped over to his brother and opened my arms to hug him.
He lifted me off the ground as he hugged me, then offered me his devastating smile.
If possible, he was even more handsome than he was before boot camp, and, like Jesse’s letters said, physically, he was turning into a beast. I noticed more than a few sisters, and even a couple of girlfriends of other Marines, checking him out appreciatively.
Jesse reclaimed me by slipping his arm around my waist and drawing me to his side. He pressed a light kiss to the top of my head. “We need to go pick up our packs, but after that, we’d love to show you around the base. We need to get you some U.S. Marine gear so you can advertise me to everyone.”
Laughing, I tilted my face to his. “I suppose wearing a shirt that says ‘Marines’ on it is a better way to mark me than giving me a giant hickey.”
“Much,” he said, as straight-faced as possible. “It will be in the nineties next week. Don’t think you want to wear turtlenecks to work.”
I giggled, the blush on my face warming my features.
The idea of Jesse giving me a love bite was about as foreign as kissing me publicly.
While he’d done the latter, and I loved it, I wasn’t quite ready to be sporting bruises.
I did like seeing him in a teasing mood, though, so I didn’t call him out on something he’d never do.
The brothers picked up their gear, and after stowing it away, they took me to the Marine Exchange.
There, families crowded into the food court area and the gift shop.
I waited with Jesse to scope out a place to sit, and Jamie picked up a pizza.
By the time he found us, there still weren’t any tables available, so we went outside and found a picnic table to sit at.
While we ate, they filled me in on their schedule for the next day, with the graduation ceremony.
“After tomorrow, we get ten days of paid leave. Then we have to report to Camp Geiger.”
A young woman walked past with a family unit and another Marine.
She had long auburn hair and snapping green eyes which focused only on Jamie as they walked past. Jamie returned the smile with a wink, causing her to giggle.
Almost immediately, he turned his attention back to the table and helped himself to the last piece of pizza.
“Ten days of freedom sounds fantastic. Stubby’s family has a bar about an hour north of here.
We’re gonna celebrate tomorrow after the ceremony.
They’ve invited all the newly graduated Marines to a barbecue. You coming along, bro?”
“We’re not old enough to drink.”
Jamie snorted. “Like that’s stopped me before.
” He held up a hand when Jesse opened his mouth to chastise him.
“It’s a family party, Jess, relax. I’m not planning to drink.
” He sat up straight and smoothed his jacket down.
“But since we’re required to wear our uniform if we’re out, and I’ve heard there are always plenty of girls who come to the party, I figure I might as well go out and attract some bees to the honey that is Jamie Forbes. God, I’ve missed girls!”
Jesse threw his pizza crust at him. “You trained beside girls almost every day, you jerk.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same thing. One or two of them weren’t bad, but I don’t want a Marine for a girlfriend. I prefer all the soft and pretty, like that redhead who just went past.”
“Jamie Forbes!” I pretended to act offended. “Are you saying female Marines can’t be pretty?”
“Nope, not saying that at all. I bet all of them can be right gorgeous. I just prefer to find my entertainment outside of my nest, if you catch my drift.”
I laughed out loud at his antics, puffing and preening like a peacock.
Jamie was ridiculous at all times, and he would undoubtedly be the highlight of any party he was at.
Girls flocked to him no matter what he wore, but in his uniform?
They would fall all over themselves, and him, to get even a crumb of his attention.
“Jesus,” Jesse swore. “Just wrap it up, all right? The last thing you need in this mess is to get some girl pregnant. Don’t you dare let her supply the condoms either.”
“Dude, I didn’t even let the girls back home supply the condoms. No way am I taking a chance here.”
“Are you staying with us, Jamie?” I asked.
Our apartment only had one bedroom, so he’d have to sleep on the sofa-sleeper, but there was no way I would turn him away after the loyalty he showed by leaving home with his brother.
“I didn’t think to get another key made so you could come and go.
I’ll do it tomorrow before the ceremony. ”
“Nah, don’t bother.” He waved me off. “I’ll spend tomorrow night at a motel, then I’ll make my way to Geiger so I’m in the area for when we have to report. Don’t want to infringe upon you two lovebirds.”
I felt my face heat at his implication. While Jesse and I had spent a couple of nights sleeping in the same bed before he left for Parris Island, and Jamie had slept in my parents’ room at the old apartment, we still hadn’t taken the next step in being intimate.
At first, I assumed it was because Jamie slept across the hall.
But, in fact, he almost seemed more nervous about sleeping in the same bed with me than I was about sleeping with him.
Looking over at him after Jamie’s comment, I saw he seemed very concentrated on cleaning up our table.
Almost as if he were nervous about what would happen tomorrow.
With ten days alone before us in my apartment…
our apartment, I guess… I couldn’t help but wonder if he planned to take our relationship to the next step.
While I was nervous, I was ready to have sex with him.
Even a little eager. Hopefully, it was everything I expected it would be.
*****
The next day, the sun shone brightly, and the weather was perfect for the graduation ceremony. Afterward, Jamie took off with his friends to the barbecue, and Jesse and I went back to our apartment.
He never saw the space since I came here on my own a few days after he left for Parris Island. Once inside the door, he set his bag on the kitchen table, removed his cover, and walked around the living area.