The End

MARCH 17, 2014

San Diego, CA

“Pink or purple?” Gordon’s 5-year-old daughter Haley asked, showing him two different bottles of nail polish.

“I like purple, but I prefer pink,” Gordon said, looking at his daughter as she started to shake the bottles.

“Can I have a snack after we’re done Daddy?” Haley asked, slowly applying polish to Gordon’s fingernails.

“Yes, of course, what did you have in mind?” Gordon replied in a soft tone.

“Fruit leather, I want a fruit leather and then I want to watch Octonauts!” Haley squealed, looking up. She smiled at Gordon and brushed some hair out of her face.

“Okay, fruit leather it is.” Gordon smiled, looking at Haley.

Haley was small for her age, very girly with long, blond curly hair and very fine features. She was definitely all-girl and loved everything princess.

Gordon adored his family and felt blessed to have his two children. Hunter, his 7-year-old son, and Haley were his pride and joy. His entire life revolved around them and Samantha, his wife.

He had met Samantha about a year after his tumultuous departure from the Marines. They were married after a year and had Hunter within the next. He was happy, secure and lived each day in the now. He never thought too much about his time in the Corps and when he did, it seemed like it was a different life entirely; almost as though it wasn’t even his life, but someone else’s.

Though his time in combat didn’t come to mind often, his everyday life was still influenced by his two tours in Iraq. The experience had shifted his priorities and shaped his perspective. He was no longer the idealist who believed in helping all. Instead, he had become more pragmatic and only wished to take care of his family. He was done sacrificing for those he considered “clueless.”

“After you’re done in the salon, meet me outside,” Samantha said to Gordon as she passed the doorway on her way to the kitchen.

Gordon looked over his shoulder, “Okay, but are you sure you don’t need a mani-pedi too?”

Samantha shouted from the kitchen down the hall, “Maybe later. Haley needs a little quiet time and you and I need some adult time.”

“Adult time? Like ‘adult time’ or adult time where you have to tell me something and have my full attention?” Gordon yelled back while watching Haley finish applying nail polish to his last finger.

“You’ll find out later,” she hollered from the kitchen

“You’re such a tease,” Gordon shot back.

“What is a tease, Daddy?” asked Haley.

“Well, honey, it’s when—”

“Haley it’s when we play jokes on one another,” Samantha interrupted, now standing in the doorway of the play room.

Gordon whipped his head back over his shoulder, “Gosh you move so quickly and stealth-like.” He winked and noticed a semi-irritated look on her face.

Samantha stood there, looking at her husband. She loved him so much. She felt so blessed to have such a good man and good father to their two children. She couldn’t think of too many men who would subject themselves to having their nails painted pink. She was so proud that he actually took an interest in his children and loved how important they were to him.

She continued admiring Gordon. He fit her perfect profile of a man. He was tall and ruggedly handsome with a chiseled jaw, light eyes and broad shoulders. Haley looked so small next to him, dwarfed by his strong, muscular build. She knew from the first time they met that he would always take care of her. She felt safe with him.

“Done, Daddy! Now can I have my snack?” Haley asked sweetly as she closed the nail polish bottle.

“Of course,” Gordon answered. He started to blow his fingers dry, but paused when he noticed Samantha still staring. He looked up to her and asked jokingly, “Does the pink bring out the blue in my eyes?”

Haley jumped up and ran out of the room, down the hall toward the kitchen. Gordon jumped up and followed, of course mindful of the wet nail polish he had on his fingers.

“So what’s up?” he asked Samantha before leaning forward to kiss her on the lips.

“Let me set up Haley for quiet time and I’ll meet you outside on the patio in, say, 5 minutes,” Samantha responded, then kissed him back.

Gordon sat on the patio and waited for Samantha to come out and join him. He leaned back, kicked his legs up onto the outside coffee table and let the mid-afternoon sun warm his face. While he had a love/hate relationship with Southern California in general, he definitely loved the weather. He preferred smaller towns, and San Diego definitely wasn’t a small town anymore. All in all, though, life was good. He enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle, a nice group of friends and the family he had around him. The one family member he wished was around more often was his little brother, Sebastian, who had joined the Marines four years after Gordon had left the Corps. His brother originally followed in his footsteps and became a TOW gunner, but it proved a bit boring for him. Being a man of adventure, he would now try out to be a Scout Sniper.

Gordon’s slumber in the sun was interrupted when he heard Samantha come outside. He opened his eyes to find her hovering over him.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” she asked, looking down on him, her arms crossed.

“Why yes, I am, thank you for asking,” Gordon replied with a grin on his face.

“When were you going to tell that your brother was coming down tonight for dinner?” Samantha asked, taking a seat across from him. “You know I need notice so I can get the house ready.”

“I thought I told you, I’m sorry,” Gordon said, sitting up more in his chair. “It is okay, right? We don’t have anything else going on, do we?”

Gordon looked at Samantha sitting across from him. He fell for her instantly when they met. He loved everything about her, from her small frame and long wavy blonde hair to her light green eyes and full lips. For him she fit the portrait of the perfect woman.

“No, we’re fine; I just need to know next time. Had I not checked the voicemail, I never would have known. Just promise me you’ll give me some notice next time.”

Gordon stood up and walked over to Samantha. He softened his voice, “Absolutely, honey.”

He bent down and gave her a big hug and kiss and whispered into her ear, “How about I apologize more upstairs?”

Samantha, a bit stubborn, pulled back and said, “You know I have things to do.”

“All things can wait,” Gordon said, even softer, knowing his wife too well. He followed up with a proposal, “How about I help you with your stuff later if you help me with my stuff now?”

Samantha raised her eyebrows and smiled mischievously, “Deal!”

She grabbed his hand and they both ran upstairs.

“Someone’s at the door!” Hunter yelled excitedly.

“Go ahead and get it; it should be your Uncle Sebastian!” Samantha said from the kitchen. She was too busy preparing a salad to go to the door.

“Gordon, I think your brother is here!” she called out to Gordon, who was in his office working. Samantha loved Sebastian but didn’t always like his visits. It wasn’t Sebastian’s fault, but just having him around made Gordon act differently. She knew that Gordon would be very distant in the days after Sebastian’s departure.

“Uncle Sebastian!” Hunter screamed as he opened the door. Hunter and Haley loved his visits; they always had the best time when he was around.

“Uncle Sebastian, Uncle Sebastian!” Haley screamed as she bounded down the stairs.

Sebastian stepped inside and picked up Hunter. Haley made it down the stairs and grabbed his leg.

“Hey guys, how are my favorite niece and nephew?” Sebastian asked. He squatted down and picked up Haley with his other arm. He walked into the kitchen where Samantha was still rushing around, preparing dinner.

Sebastian was tall and, as they say in the Corps, “lean and mean.” He and Gordon looked very similar; there was no mistaking they were brothers. The major differences came from their seven-year age gap: Gordon was slowly getting a widow’s peak and a bit of gray on his sides. Sebastian had a full head of thick brown hair and no gray. While he was a hard charger, he didn’t go for the flat tops or high and tight haircuts; he liked his hair and made sure it was just regulation or longer if he could get away with it. Sebastian always had a smile on his face and took life more lightly as opposed to his brother, who had a more serious and stoic persona.

Sebastian wanted to have kids himself one day, but for now he enjoyed the life of a single Marine. He still had the adventure bug, and with the Corps being tough enough without a family, he thought it not fair to start one. So for now, Sebastian took what family life he could get with his brother’s family.

“Hi, Samantha!”

“Hi, Sebastian, how are you?” Samantha replied, looking flustered trying to get everything finished. Samantha was a perfectionist and needed everything to look perfect for guests. She stopped for a few seconds to give Sebastian a quick hug and peck on the cheek, though. “Gordon is out in his office finishing up a project. Go ahead on back.”

“I think I’ll do that—” he looked down to the kids in his arms and raised his eyebrows, “But first I have a couple of monkeys on me that need to see what Uncle Sebastian got them.”

Both kids squealed, “Presents!”

He let the kids down and squatted so he could look at them eye to eye, “Go out front and you’ll see two bags on the table out there. The green one is Hunter’s and the pink one is—”

“Mine!” Haley cried out, already running to the front door. Hunter did not hesitate either and took off.

Sebastian stood up and approached the kitchen island, “Wow, something smells great! I’m hungry.”

“I hope you are, we have tons of food and Gordon ran out a bit ago and picked up your favorite tri-tip.”

“You guys are great, thank you,” Sebastian said looking at Samantha, happy his brother had found such a wonderful wife. It made him smile when he thought about how much his brother deserved this life, especially after everything he’d been through.

Samantha had the TV on in the background as she cooked; it was really the only time she could catch up with the news. Her two kids were a full-time job, demanding more than a fair share of her day.

On the TV, Bill O’Reilly was interviewing the Republican speaker of the house, Brad Conner, and Democratic California representative, Shelly Gomez.

Samantha grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. “Sorry, it’s the only time I can listen to what’s happening. It’s scary out there right now with so many attacks happening overseas, I just feel it’s only a matter of time before it comes here.”

“Yeah, maybe so; I wouldn’t focus too much on that; I think we’re pretty safe here. As far as the talking heads on TV, I just don’t listen at all. Sounds like a bunch of hot air to me,” Sebastian said.

“Can I grab you a beer?”

“I’ll get it, I know where they are, can I grab you one, too?” Sebastian asked, opening the fridge.

“Why yes, thank you.”

“Get one for me too!” Sebastian recognized his brother’s voice. Gordon was grinning ear to ear as he entered the kitchen; he was always thrilled to see his little brother.

“Gordo!” Sebastian boomed, setting the beers down on the counter. He approached his brother and gave him a big hug, “Great to see you, thanks for the invite.”

“Of course, little brother. We just wish we saw you more.”

Gordon turned to Samantha and asked, “Where are the kids?”

“Outside, playing with the toys Sebastian brought for them.”

“Tell me what’s up with you?” Gordon asked Sebastian after taking a swig from his beer.

“I guess I need to ask you that,” Sebastian replied pointing at Gordon’s fingers, “You know if it was the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy that made you leave the Corps, you’re good to go now.”

“What?” Gordon asked, puzzled for a second by Sebastian’s comments before realizing he still had on the pink fingernail polish from earlier.

“Kids,” he explained, shrugging off the comment.

Gordon walked over to the fridge to get the meat for the grill, “Well, Mister Smartass, how about helping me with this outside?”

“Roger that.”

“Dinner was great. I’m stuffed,” Sebastian said, leaning back against his chair.

“I’m glad you liked it. Why don’t I clean up and you boys go enjoy a beer and chat,” Samantha said while stacking plates.

“Are you sure?” Gordon asked, looking up at her from his chair. Gordon respected Samantha and looked at his relationship and the responsibility of parenting as a true partnership. He never wanted to take her for granted.

“Yes, I’m sure. You boys go be boys. Drink some beers, talk shit and solve the world’s problems. I can take the kids upstairs to watch a movie,” she gave him a kiss on the cheek, “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, sweetie.”

Sebastian watched their interaction and smiled. When it was time for him to settle down, he wanted exactly what his brother had. Of course that wouldn’t happen for awhile since he had another year on his enlistment and life was just too much fun.

Samantha grabbed the remaining dishes and walked back into the kitchen. The brothers could hear her talking to the kids. After a minute of squealing and cheers from the kids, the house fell silent.

“Let’s grab those beers and go to the back patio,” Gordon stood up and Sebastian followed him to the fridge before heading outside.

“Here,” Gordon handed his brother a cold beer and sat down.

“Thanks, so what you been doing lately?”

“You know the usual. Oh, I have been getting to the range more lately.”

“Good, any new acquisitions?”

“Yeah, when I was in Idaho I stopped by a gun show and finally bought an M-4 and another Sig.”

“You were always more of the collector than me, you and Dad were alike that way,” Sebastian commented then took a drink.

“So, tell me more about Scout Snipers,” Gordon asked, kicking his feet up on the table.

“I really want it; I get to try out in a couple of weeks. I’ve been training, so we’ll see.”

“As long as you’re clear,” Gordon said looking down at his beer in his hand.

“What does that mean?” Sebastian asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Just that.”

“Listen, don’t project your anger with the Corps onto me,” Sebastian said with a bit of attitude.

“I’m not projecting anything. I just want to make sure you’re making the right decision. I don’t think you made the right decision by signing up for six years initially. All you had to do was sign up for four, and if you liked it, go for another enlistment,” Gordon admonished.

Sebastian stared his brother down, frustrated. He loved him so much, but hated when Gordon acted like a parent. He figured that after two combat tours, one in Iraq and another in Afghanistan, his brother would finally treat him with respect. He knew it stemmed from two things, one being that Gordon and Sebastian’s parents had died a few years back. Gordon took it upon himself to fill that role for his much younger brother. The other issue was Gordon’s anger toward the Marine Corps. He felt betrayed after the incident in Fallujah 10 years before.

“Gordo, I know what I’m doing. Scout Snipers are a tight unit, professional and motivated. I wish you would stop second-guessing me. I know you asked me not to join the Marines, but I did. Then you were against me signing for six, but I did that too. I needed to guarantee the job I wanted. You were against me being a TOW gunner and now you’re second-guessing this. I’m a man; I know what I’m doing,” Sebastian sat straight up in his chair and looked his brother directly in the eye.

“Okay. Okay,” Gordon replied, waving his left hand in the air and rolling his eyes.

“I’m gonna make a head call,” Sebastian put down his beer and walked inside.

Gordon rested his head on the back of the chair and looked up at the stars. He thought back to that day in the mosque in Fallujah. In the years immediately after, he’d mentally replayed the incident over and over again. Every time, though, he’d concluded that he’d do it all the same. It frustrated him to no end, the ridicule and hatred he received. The investigation from the NCIS team proved he made the correct decision, but those stories are not interesting and always land on page D9 of the newspaper. Stories of Marines shooting “unarmed and wounded’ prisoners, on the other hand, make for headline news and political fodder. He hated the politics most. The entire situation changed how he looked at his country and countrymen. When his time for reenlistment came around, he opted to get out. He could no longer risk his life to defend a country wherein half the citizens either hated him or, only slightly better, thought nothing of him.

Gordon had joined the Marine Corps right after the attacks on September 11^th. He dropped out of George Mason University in his third year because he felt it was his generation’s calling to serve, walking away from a full academic scholarship. At the time it felt like the right thing to do, but now things had changed.

He often questioned why he had sacrificed so much. For what? So people could hate him? So people could take their freedom for granted? For all the lazy asses and all the dumb shits who want to sit around and do nothing? Fuck them, he thought. Never again would he sacrifice himself for anyone but his family and friends. Now his brother was putting himself in harm’s way so those same worthless people could sit back and enjoy their freedoms and abuse their rights.

Sebastian knew how he felt, but he was never the idealist Gordon once was. Sebastian loved his country, sure, but he was in it more for the adventure. He loved the action. Sebastian felt lucky that people would pay him to blow things up. He never thought much of politics, thinking it was a waste of time. Gordon would love to share his brother’s outlook, but how can our country survive if all we do is look out for ourselves? Ideologically, he was conflicted. Practically, though, until his anger went away, he would not put anyone else before himself or his family.

Sebastian’s return interrupted Gordon’s train of thought.

“Here, bro,” Sebastian handed over another beer.

Sitting up and grabbing the beer Gordon said, “Thank you. Look, I’m sorry if I seemed like I doubted you. I do respect you and I don’t look at you any other way than as a man. You know how I feel about the Corps and everything else. I really don’t want to get into it again. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I know, I know. Listen, I’ll be in good hands. By the way, I forgot to tell you, we just got a new commanding officer,” Sebastian said after drinking some beer, he had a big smile on his face.

“Who is that?” Gordon was interested.

“Barone!”

“Major Barone?” Gordon’s eyes widened.

“Yeah, but he’s a light bird now.”

Again, Gordon’s memory flashed back to the time after the Fallujah incident. Major Barone was one of his staunchest defenders. He stood by him while the other brass were ready to offer him up to appease the politicians and media. The press had a heyday with the story and was bloodthirsty in its reporting on the shooting. For all intents and purposes, he had been publicly convicted before any investigation had even been completed.

Comforted by the memory of a loyal friend, Gordon said, “That is great news. He’s a great man. You are definitely in good hands with him.”

“I knew you’d be happy to hear his name again. I haven’t had the chance to actually meet him, but I hear he loves his snipers. I’m pumped. Now, all I have to do is make the cut.”

“It really does make me happy that he’s in charge and will be taking you guys back into the mix on your next tour,” Gordon felt relieved that his brother would be in such trustworthy company.

Gordon was very happy to have that bit of news. Regardless of his brother’s confidence, he would always worry and look after him. Sebastian was his little brother and, as the oldest, he felt a bit responsible for him even if it meant being accused of acting like a parent. Gordon was also concerned because of the increase in terrorist attacks against military installations around the globe. Over the past few months, there had also been an uptick in attacks against civilian targets in Europe. He and Samantha often talked about how strange it was that the terrorists had never attempted those attacks in the United States. With the porous border to the south, he just felt that the U.S. would not always be so lucky. He knew that eventually the terrorists would come back and the next large attack could be so damaging it could bring the country to its knees.

Gordon put aside the thoughts about the harshness of the world and refocused on having a good time with his brother. After a few more beers, some laughs, and a brief trip down memory lane, the brothers said goodbye to one another.

After walking him to the front door, Gordon gave Sebastian a hug and said, “If you ever need anything, you call me; don’t hesitate. We’re here for you.”

“I will, Gordo. I love you, brother,” Sebastian always felt bad when he had to leave. He hated goodbyes.

As Sebastian walked down the sidewalk Gordon yelled after him, “Stay frosty, Marine.”