"Ella, I can't thank you enough for this."
"You don't need to thank me. You're my brother, and I'm their aunt."
She waited for a moment then said, "And I loved Diane like my own sister."
Her brother looked over at her as they drove home from the airport and said, "And she loved you, too. And as I said, you can have her car. No charge. It's just my way of saying thanks."
He held out his hand and his sister took it and squeezed it.
"My thanks to you, too. And we'll get through this. I promise," she assured him.
"Now that you're here, I'm starting to believe that's possible."
"Steve? You need to keep in mind that this is as important for me as it is for you."
"Yeah, we're both kind of broken, aren't we?" her older brother mused as he let go of her hand. "My wife is dead and you're husband cheated on you. Repeatedly."
He looked over at her then said, "Who could have possibly imagined?"
Ella sighed then told him she agreed.
"Everything seemed so perfect. For both of us."
"It was. Until life threw us both a curveball."
"Neither one of us did anything wrong, and yet here we are, in our 40s and all alone."
"Listen to you. You just turned 40 last month, and you're talking like you're over the hill," her brother teased.
"It's different for women, though. You're 42 and just getting a touch of gray around your temples. Women think that's distinguished and even a little sexy."
"A little gray? I'm pretty much such salt and pepper on the top, too."
He glanced over again then said, "I'm your brother, so this may not matter much to you, but I can tell you you're still beautiful, sis."
He saw her roll her eyes and said, "I'm serious. When you were here for Diane's funeral, I had three of my friends tell me my sister was hot. One said, 'hot as as hell'."
"Yeah, right," Ella said with a dismissive laugh.
She had a hard time giving herself credit these days, but the truth was she looked very good for a woman who'd just turned 40. Her body was still firm, nothing was 'sagging', and her face was still her best feature. Between her very-dark hair, hazel eyes, and beautiful smile, she caught the attention of nearly every straight man she passed.
"I am right, you know. Or rather...they were right. You look good, El. Really good."
"Well, thank you, but after being told I wasn't enough and living alone the last six months or so, I don't exactly feel like any of those things, but it's nice to hear someone say it."
She smiled then said, "Even if it is my brother."
He laughed then told her the kids couldn't wait to see their favorite aunt.
"I'm their only aunt," she pointed out with a laugh.
"True but they are excited about you coming to live with us."
He looked over one more time then told her, "And again, I can't put into words how grateful I am to you for doing this."
"You're not ready to hear this yet, but you will find someone else, Steve. And when you do, she'll be the kind of woman who'll love your children as much as you do."
"You're right. It is too early. You're also right about finding someone. Eventually. I suppose somewhere deep down I believe what you said, but that's still down the road a good ways."
"And I'm not just returning the compliment. You're a very nice looking guy. And you have to know that being a Marine fighter pilot is a huge plus for a whole lot of women."
"I'll take your word for that," her brother said before asking a question.
"Are you keeping his last name?"
"For now. I've thought about it, but it really isn't a big deal to me. The drinking and the infidelity and then the divorce consumed me, and all I wanted was out."
She looked over at her brother then asked, "Why? Do you think I should change it back to Pratt?"
"It's not my decision, Ella. Curtis isn't a bad last name. I was just curious."
His sister kind of shrugged and those were the last words they spoke until they got to his house where the kids got more excited than he'd seen them before they learned their mom's aggressive form of cancer was incurable.
Steve's older child, Derek, was twelve while his daughter, Chloe, had just turned nine. Both of them were quiet, sweet kids, and even more so since losing their mother. Chloe was the more vocal of the two, but she wasn't loud or aggressive by any means.
Ella had no intention of trying to replace her sister in law, but she hoped that being there full-time would make things easier for them while she worked on recovery from a terrible marriage and the pain that came with having to end it.
And since her brother had an in-law suite in the house, staying with them was made a lot easier than if she had to live inside the house itself. It was attached, but it was separated by a little walkway, and for whatever reason, it made Ella feel better about moving in knowing she'd have some privacy whenever she needed it.
******
Three months later
"I'll get it!" Chloe said when the phone rang.
Steve kept a landline at the house just in case there wasn't any cell service. As the commanding officer of a flying squadron located at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in the town of Havelock, North Carolina, he needed to be available 24/7 no matter what.
"Yes. This is the Pratt residence. May I ask who's calling?"
Her father sensed it was for him and moved next to her, waiting to be handed the phone.
"Yes. He's right here. Just a moment, okay?" she said very politely and impressively.
"Hello?" Steve said.
"Sir? Is this...or was this...Captain Pratt?"
Steve laughed and said, "It was. May I ask who's calling?"
"Sir. This is one of the biggest...."
He hesitated before using profanity but knew it was a word every Marine used to describe a fellow Marine who was a total loser.
"One of the biggest shit birds you ever knew."
Steve laughed then said, "I've known several, so you'll have to narrow it down for me."
"I was Lance Corporal Reynolds when I worked for you back when you were...."
"Oh. Okay. Yeah, sure. I remember you, and you weren't all that bad," the Marine lieutenant colonel said, knowing he wasn't being totally truthful.
Then again, Reynolds was by no means the worst Marine he'd ever met, but he'd been somewhere in the bottom 10% to be sure. Then-captain Pratt was just months away from being Major Pratt, and now, not quite five years later, he'd been promoted yet again.
"You're being too nice, sir, but thank you," the younger man said. "Anyway, the reason I called was I guess I just wanted you to know that sometimes leopards do change their spots."
Steve had used that saying so many times he'd lost count, and rightly assumed that former-Lance Corporal Reynolds had heard him say it.
"I also believe there are exceptions to every rule," Steve told him with a little laugh.
"I like to think I'm one of them, sir. I left active duty after four years then went to college, and now I'm teaching high school and coaching wrestling."
More than a little bit surprised, Steve shared his feelings.
"I'm really glad to hear that...."
He paused then said, "I don't believe I know your first name."
"It's Chase. Sir."
"Chase. Okay. And please call me Steve."
"Wow. I uh, I'm not sure I can do that," Chase told him with genuine surprise of his own.
Steve chuckled then said, "Well, the offer stands anytime you're ready to take me up on it."
"I appreciate that...."
Now Chase hesitated then asked, "Are you...a colonel now?"
"No. Lieutenant colonel."
Chase laughed then told him it was the same to him. Steve also laughed and assured his former charge that there was a world of difference between the two ranks as a colonel would be in charge of four or five flying squadrons while Steve was responsible for just one.
Chase laughed nervously then said, "I also wanted to let you know that I recently moved to New Bern to take my current teaching job, and since you're just down the road at Cherry Point, I was hoping I might have the opportunity to maybe stop by and...."
Cherry Point was the name of the Marine Corps Air Station which was located in the town of Havelock, but to Marines they were pretty much synonymous.
"Yes! Absolutely. Just let me know what works for you, and we'll figure something out and make that happen."
"Great. I...I was a little nervous about calling you because I was such a...total loser...as a Marine, but you were the one officer who always took the time to answer my endless questions about things like 'why are we doing this?' or 'what good is that?', etc."
Steve laughed when he recalled one of those sessions where then-LCpl Reynolds had indeed asked 'why' time and time and time again. Then-Captain Pratt had answered every one of his questions as though they were sincere rather than just grousing, and evidently, it had made an impression on the young Marine.
"I remember," Steve told him.
"I do apologize, sir. But I really have changed, and I suppose my real purpose in calling was to try and make amends and let someone who cared know that his patience and understanding made a difference."
"I gotta tell you, that's really nice to hear, Chase. And I look forward to getting together. In fact, while I've got you on the phone, is this weekend good for you?"
"Um...sure. Absolutely."
"Okay. I'll check with my sister and make sure she's onboard then I'll text you at this number if you don't mind."
"No. Not at all, sir," Chase said, as he wondered but didn't ask why he needed to check with his sister and not his wife. He'd only seen Captain Pratt's wife once, but he'd never forgotten her. She was so hot she'd made an indelible impression on the young, 19-year old Marine, and he was hoping she hadn't left her husband...or worse.
"Okay. I'll get back to you as soon as...."
Ella walked in just as he was getting ready to hang up.
"Hold on. Speak of my sister...and she shall appear!" Steve said.
