Jazz Man

"Well, that's certainly admirable. And from what I know, they make a reasonable amount of money. Enough to care for a family anyway."

Kim tried to explain the drug-like high Kyle induced every time she saw him, and this time her mom laughed.

"I know I'm your mother, honey, but I'm going to tell you something woman to woman, okay?"

Kim didn't say anything. She did, however, hold her breath as she waited.

"If all you want to do is hop in the sack with him, it's infatuation. But if you can honestly picture him raising Shawn and providing for you, and if that's what makes you happy, then it may well be more than just a fantasy."

Kim exhaled then said, "Woman to woman, there hasn't been any 'sack hopping'. Yet."

Her mom laughed then said, "Sex is a very important part of any marriage, Kimmy. Let me qualify that. When it's good, it's a very small part. But when it's bad, it becomes...huge. But assuming that part will at least be 'good', then what really matters are the other, more important things like honesty, commitment, a willingness to compromise and sacrifice, and maybe most importantly—does he inspire you? Does he make you want to be a better person? You said Shawn adores him, so does Kyle feel the same about him? Those are the things that matter."

A figurative dam burst, and just like that, Kim knew.

"He does, Mom. He does inspire me, and even though he's younger than me, I always feel like he's the smarter, older one as well as all those things you mentioned and more."

She heard her mother smiling as she asked, "So when do we get to meet this amazing young man?"

After another week in which Kim was no longer quite so tired after work and during which she saw Kyle nearly every day, she mentioned her conversation with her mom.

"I'd to love to meet her. And your dad."

"Are you sure?"

Kyle smiled at her then asked, "Perhaps the better question is, are you sure?"

She smiled back then kissed him before telling him she was very sure.

"Your dad isn't...hardcore...is he?"

Kim thought about that word for a moment then laughed.

"No. My dad is...wonderful. He's the kindest man I know. And my mom is..."

"Your best friend," Kyle said, proving he'd been listening when she told him that earlier.

"She really is."

"Then I'd love to meet them."

Kim was thrilled, but then she was suddenly sad.

"Would you mind telling about your parents?" she asked very sweetly.

Kyle smiled then said, "I'd love to tell you about them."

Kim teared up when Kyle told her how his father had passed away, but when he explained how his mother had also died, she couldn't keep herself from crying.

"That's just so...unfair," she told him as she put her arms around him.

"Life isn't always fair...honey," he quietly replied, using that endearment for the first time.

She thought about her former husband then said, "You're right. Sometimes it isn't."

She squeezed him a little tighter then quietly asked, "Would you call me that again, please?"

Knowing he could get away with it, Kyle said, "Okay, That Again."

Kim pulled away and gave him a funny look.

"You asked me to call you 'that again', so I did."

She narrowed her eyes and tried to look mean, but she ended up laughing and put her arms back around him. And before she could stop herself, she said, "I love you so much."

Kim quickly pulled back and looked at Kyle with shock and horror.

"What? You didn't mean it?" he asked with a smile.

"No! Of course I meant it. I just didn't think it was..."

"I love you, too. Honey," Kyle told her.

Already emotional, Kim felt the warm tears that ran down her cheeks as she again put her arms around the much-younger man she loved.

"I do love you, Kyle. It's crazy, but I do. Very much."

The following weekend, the anxiety Kim's parents had about this 'younger man' vanished after spending a little more than two hours with him. It was obvious he loved their daughter and their grandson, and while he was, for all intents and purposes, a broke college student, they could see that he had a vision for the future.

"Well, a career in the Army isn't a bad way to go," Kim's father, Andy Peterson, said at one point.

"You know, I really wanted to join the Marine Corps when I enlisted, but I had this idea of living out Full Metal Jacket for three months, so I enlisted in the Army."

Kim took notice and asked, "Are you considering the Marine Corps?"

"They have the coolest uniforms!" Shawn said out of nowhere, his head buried in his iPad.

Kyle laughed then said, "Not until I talk it over with someone who means everything to me."

Kim knew as little about the Marine Corps as she did the Army, but for that matter, she knew almost nothing about any branch beyond who had the really big ships, so she couldn't intelligently comment. What she could comment on, and what really mattered to her, was the way Kyle let her know how important she was to him.

Her ex would have simply announced what he intended to do, and she would be expected to get onboard with it. Having someone who cared what she thought and how she felt only made her love him more.

"I'll support whatever decision you make," Kim told him as her parents watched and listened.

When they got ready to leave, Andy asked Kyle if he could have a moment.

"Yes, sir. Of course."

They went to the den where Andy said, "I was willing to give you a chance, but because you're so much younger than my daughter, I have to admit I couldn't imagine liking you much."

Kyle politely listened without interrupting, and Andy continued.

"I'm a pretty good judge of character, Kyle. So is Margie. And well, the truth is, we both like you. A lot. You are young, but you're not a kid. You've got a good head on your shoulders, and Kimmy's fallen hard for you, and that grandson of ours has a serious case of hero worship going on."

Kyle still didn't say anything knowing there was more to come.

"I watched my daughter go through hell when that SOB of a...husband...broke her heart."

"I promise you I will never hurt her. Or Shawn," Kyle told the older man, knowing what he wanted to hear.

Andy stuck out his hand, shook Kyle's then said, "I almost never give advice, but I'm gonna give some now."

He waited for a moment then said, "I never served, so I don't know much about the difference between the Army and the Marines, but I do know a man's gotta follow his heart. So if you know what you want, and if Kim is okay with it, then do what you really want to do this time around, okay?"

"I will, sir," Kyle promised before the older man gave him a kind of old-school 'bro hug' then told him it was a pleasure meeting him.

"You give me hope that the younger generation still gives a damn about this country of ours."

Kyle assured him that he did, and with that, he went to find the woman he loved and her son to take them home.

"So what did my father say?" Kim asked on the drive back to her place.

"Just to follow my heart."

"That's it? That's all he said?"

"Pretty much."

"Wow. I thought you were getting the third degree."

"Nope. Not at all."

"So...what's your heart telling you?" Kim asked.

"That I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

It was dark, but Kyle saw the tears welling up in Kim's eyes. She managed not to cry and took his hand and squeezed it.

"That's interesting because that's what mine's telling me, too," she said as she stared at him wondering how she'd managed to find someone so perfect for her.

"Are you guys gonna get all mushy?" Shawn said, again piping out of nowhere.

"No. We're not getting...mushy," his mom said as she smiled at the man she loved before leaning over and whispering, "not until Shawn goes to bed anyway."

"I heard that!" her son said, surprising her and causing her to recoil in fake horror.

"You are so busted, Mom!" Kyle told her.

"Yeah, Mom. You're totally busted!"

"Okay. As long as I'm busted with you two handsome guys, that's just fine with me."

That night, Kim not only wasn't tired, she took Kyle by the hand and told her it was time to get mushy.

"How mushy?" he asked as she pulled him toward the bedroom.

"Very," was all she said before closing the bedroom door, locking, it, then pulling Kyle down on top of her on the queen-sized bed where they made love for the first time. And the second before Kyle left around 1am.

Kyle had never stopped running or taking good care of himself, but the following week, he began working his way up to running 10 miles while spending as much time as he could in the university gym while also making time to study and see Kim as often as possible.

Between her job and his brutal schedule, the time they had together was precious. Over the weeks and months that followed, they found a rhythm that worked for both of them, and the more they learned about one another the deeper their love became.

Shawn's saxophone skills grew rapidly, and after giving notice to his teacher, they let him go and Kyle picked up the slack. In his spare time, of course.

Four months before graduation Kyle sought out the equivalent of a Marine recruiter, someone called an Officer Selection Officer or OSO, and began the process of getting ready to attend Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Virginia.

On the day that his approval came back, a day when he learned exactly when he would be reporting to OCS, Kyle took Kim and Shawn to dinner at the nicest restaurant they'd ever been to. It also happened to be Kim's 40th birthday, something he'd been planning for weeks.

"Honey, this place is crazy expensive," Kim said when he pulled into the parking lot.

"But this is the kind of place that makes a lasting impression," Kyle told her even though he knew money and things didn't impress her. "On a special occasion."

She gave him a quizzical look but left it at that since it was her birthday as he came around and helped her get out before escorting her inside.

Shawn had recently turned twelve, so when he asked if he could go to the bathroom—alone, his mother didn't think twice. But when he came back, she did a double take because all of the waitstaff as well as the managers were with him. And all of them were smiling.

"What's going on?" Kim asked as she looked at Kyle who smiled then asked Shawn if he was ready.

Shawn had gone to the car to get Kyle's saxophone and handed it to him.

He stood up, apologized for interrupting everyone's dinner, then said, "Tonight is my beautiful girlfriend's birthday, ladies and gentleman, so if you'll join me..."

He stood on a chair then raised the sax to his lips and played 'happy birthday' for the woman he loved, and when he finished, the place went crazy. Many called out 'happy birthday' or 'best wishes', so Kim stood up briefly, kind of waved then called out, "I call this handsome guy 'Jazz Man', and now you know why!"

There was another round of applause when she sat back down, then Kyle said to everyone, "If you'll bear with me for one more short moment..."

He looked at Shawn then asked, "You got it, buddy?"

"Yep!" the boy told him as he pulled out a small box and handed it to Kyle.

"Oh...my..." Kim said as everyone else smiled and continued watching while Kyle got down on one knee.

"I could spend quite some time talking about how much I love you or how lucky and blessed I feel to have found you—and Shawn—but I think you already know that. And since everyone's staring and...hungry..."

He opened the box and displayed a ring Kim was too excited about to think, "That's way too expensive!" as he asked her to marry him.

"Are you kidding?" she said as she held out her hand and fought back tears. "Of course I'll marry you!"

Kim may not have cried, but the three women who were waiting tables were as were several other women who were watching. Even most of the men felt a little hitch in their giddy up when Kyle helped his new fiancé stand up and kiss her in front of God and country. Or at least the restaurant which burst into applause one more time.

An older gentleman called the general manager over and asked him to put their dinner on his tab, then told everyone else the next drink was on him just as if they were in a bar somewhere.

"Free dinner, a private serenade, and a diamond ring. You really know how to impress a girl," Kim told her handsome fiancé.

"I just wanted to give you a night you'd never forget, honey," Kyle told her.

She finally teared up then told him it was the best night of her life.

He moved closer then whispered, "It's gonna get even better when we get home."

"Promise?"

"Uh-huh. I promise."

The best night of her life did get better, and when she woke up the next morning, Kyle was still there with her for the first time ever.

"Good morning," he told her once she woke up.

"Good morning," Kim said before kissing him then looking at her ring again. "I can't imagine being happier than I am right now."

Shawn heard talking and came to the bedroom and knocked.

"Can I come in?"

Kim looked at Kyle, and both of them laughed.

"Sure. Come on in!" Kyle called out.

It was obvious that Shawn was as happy as they were, albeit for somewhat different reasons.

"You too old to get in bed with me?" his mom asked again.

The 12-year old looked at Kyle who moved away from Kim, and once there was space, he jumped up and got in.

"You better not ever tell anyone, Mom," her son warned her as he lay between them.

"Me?" his mother asked as though that was impossible.

"The real question is whether or not a 12-year old boy is too old to be tickled," Kyle said, drawing looks from both Shawn and his mother.

"Oh, no! No way!" Shawn said, but before he could get away, Kyle grabbed him, and his mom got her fingers in his ribs.

When he shrieked with laughter, he tried to cover his sides, so Kyle started tickling his knee, and Shawn nearly lost it.

A minute or two later, the three of them had stopped laughing, and Shawn once again made his mom's day when he said, "I love you, Mom."

"Ahh! I love you, too, honey!"

Then out of nowhere, he said, "And I love you, too, Kyle."

"I love you, too, buddy. And I love your mom. Very much."

"Mom? Remember when I showed you the CD?"

"I do," his mom said as she looked across her son to her fiancé. "I had no idea one of the handsome soldiers on the cover would one day change my life."

"Wait. You thought those other guys were handsome?" Kyle asked as though he was offended.

"Not as handsome as you," Kim said with a smile.

"Good answer," Kyle told her.

"You guys are gonna get mushy again, huh?" Shawn said as he lay there between them.

"Uh-uh. We're just gonna enjoy our time together as a family," his mom replied.

"Okay. That's cool!" Shawn said, drawing a laugh that made him laugh, too.

Three days after graduation, and three days before reporting to OCS, Kyle and Kim got married at her mom and dad's house in a small ceremony. Shawn had no idea what a best man did, but he loved being one, and Kim was thrilled to ask her mom to be her Maid of Honor.

*****

Five months later. Quantico, Virginia.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the graduation ceremony for Lima Company of Officer Candidates School. The members of Lima Company will be involved in a parade followed by each officer candidate taking the oath of office which will be administered by our guest of honor, Marine Lieutenant General, James..."

Kim and Shawn sat in the bleachers as they strained to find Kyle among the see of desert camouflage uniforms forming into platoons in front of them. Shawn called out, "There he is!" at least a half dozen times before Kim spotted her Marine all tanned and even more fit as he and his platoon 'passed in review'.

Just minutes after the parade ended, the oath of office was administered, and Kim checked her purse for the fifth time to make sure the gold bars were still there as she and her son walked onto the parade deck to pin them on Second Lieutenant Kyle Roberts, U.S. Marine Corps.

Shawn was now tall enough that Kyle didn't need to bend down when Shawn stuck one on Kyle's right side while his mother did the left.

"Can I kiss you?" Kim asked, knowing that public displays of affection weren't allowed.

"You better," Kyle told her before pulling her close and kissing her.

When they turned around, the Marine gunnery sergeant and the sergeant who'd trained Kyle for the last ten weeks were waiting, and both saluted the new lieutenant.

Kyle only had one silver dollar, and according to tradition, handed it to the gunny after thanking him for being such an outstanding role model and mentor.

"It was my honor, sir," the older man with 14 years in the Corps told the new officer he'd yelled at for the last ten weeks. "I had my doubts about a Doggie making it through Marine OCS, but you killed it."

"I had a lot of help," Kyle modestly replied before introducing Kim and Shawn.

"Your wife's a beautiful woman, Lieutenant. You definitely married up," the gunny said respectfully but with a grin.

"No argument here, Gunny."

Kim kissed her husband one more time then laughed at what was said.

"Hey, hey, you two!" the Marine gunny said with a smile, and if Kyle saw correctly, a little wink.

"Sorry, Gunny," Kyle told him.

"Sir, don't apologize. You're the lieutenant now."

"Oh, right. Yeah, that's gonna take some getting used to."

The gunny saluted again, wished them all the best of luck, then walked away.

"So. Are you ready to start the rest of our lives together, Mrs. Roberts?" Kyle asked his beautiful wife.

"With the Jazz Man? I can't wait!"

"Hey! That's...Lieutenant Jazz Man to you," Kyle said, trying to sound authoritative.

"Ha! I'm a general, Lieutenant!" Kim told him as she pointed toward her car and said, "Now...march!"

Kyle came to attention and called out, "Aye, aye, Ma'am!" as he left the OCS parade deck for the last time, his beautiful wife on one arm and their son walking next to him, looking up at the man he loved and admired more than anyone else on earth.