Virginia Beach, Virginia...

Cadence…. An odd name for a girl, but then her mom had been a Marine and a good one at that. Which made her a brat… a Marine Brat, which isn’t a bad thing but merely a title describing a kid growing up in a military family.

And of course her name was just what she took from being the child of a very tenacious and determined woman. Almost marching through life; a life of structure which Cadence didn’t mind at all and missed all too much of that now. Lindsey raised her only kid as best she could until being interrupted just shy of her own thirty-eighth birthday. Her date with destiny was courtesy of a very tired and very drunk accountant and his Prius out on Laskin Road on her way to NAS Oceana one very rainy evening.

What to wear today, the girl wondered. She peered into the walk-in closet illuminated only by the sunlight streaming through the bedroom window. She vowed once again to replace the overhead light bulb when she went she went to work at Kroger’s.

The clothes were just as organized as her mother had been. Dresses; then skirts; then pants; then tops and blouses – all neatly ordered on one side of the closet. On the other side? Jackets and sweaters. And the array of her mother’s work clothes. Uniforms for every occasion and expectation. Cadence sighed; putting her hand on the shoulder of the dress-blue jacket, she shook her head. Not today. It was forever not-today. After grabbing a few items, she turned and walked out of the closet, closing the door behind her.

“Cade….? Did you hear from anyone yet?” She turned and walked to the bedroom door. Her aunt was standing at the end of the hallway, waving as she held up the day’s mail. Bonnie’s gesture answered Cade’s question even as her silence answered Bonnie’s. Just two replies. East Stroudsburg and Ramapo both said yes. But she was hoping for more. Even from down the hall, Bonnie could read her just from her tone.

“I’m sorry, hon. I know something is better than nothing, but it’s not much when you’re hoping for more. Thing is, early entry for…. For anyone…. It’s still early.”

“I know. I just was hoping. Mom went to Annapolis….” She marched slowly down the hall her attention squarely on her shoes.

Bonnie had walked around the corner and she was focused on the groceries she was putting in the pantry.

“Oh… I picked up some light bulbs,” Bonnie practically sang.

“Even if they say yes, you know they’ll change their minds when they talk to me.”

Bonnie turned to see Cadence standing in the archway between the living room and the kitchen. She had her head down; still focusing on her shoes.

“Oh, gosh, Cade….” Bonnie placed the last can of tomatoes on the shelf and closed the cabinet door, but quickly put her hand to her cheek in surprise. In a moment she was crying softly as she walked to Cadence.

“I….I’m sorry, Aunt Bonnie….. Please….forgive me,” Cadence stammered as she tried to walk past her Aunt and down the hall. Bonnie reached over and grabbed her hand.

“You look just like your mother…” Bonnie thought about snapping off a salute but hesitated before pulling the girl into a hug.

“She…she did that uniform proud and you do, too.” Bonnie pushed Cadence out a bit to arms’ length and surveyed the girl’s attire. It was almost ironic that the girl had held off wearing the dress uniform. Her mother never really liked the dress uniform; feeling only a bit out of place and unworthy despite the respect and support of all her fellow marines. Having a demanding father will do that.

Instead she wore her mother’s service uniform; khaki short-sleeve shirt with captain’s bars and a smart-looking olive/khaki skirt. Her garrison cap featured the same captain’s bars and was set at just a bit of a jaunty angle; mirroring her favored. Sensible dark shoes finished the outfit; leaving her looking like the spit-and-polish image of the late Captain Lindsey Santangelo, USMC.

“I’m so sorry….”the girl repeated. She went to pull away from Bonnie but her aunt gripped her hand; as gently as one can while remaining firm.

“Oh, Cade….It’s okay. You’re …. ‘She paused and looked away; almost looking into the hidden and holy as she imagined the look her sister would have if she was there with them.

“Lin…. Your mom would be proud.” She smiled even as the tears dropped from her cheek; falling onto the girl’s wrist.

“No…. this… this is wrong.” The girl looked at herself; scanning up and down in angry inspection. Bonnie held firm and shook her head.

“There was a time when folks like your Mom would have never been accepted either, honey. Even before that. When your great-grandfather served, we…women were almost looked at like nurses or the help instead of the marines they were. Your grandfather’s generation still had a bit of trouble, but even the ones who tried to understand were still stuck a bit in the past. And your Mom and ….”

“And you?”

“Well, we both went through it. Your Mom did what she could but things still hadn’t changed so….”

“Yeah….I know.” The girl put her hand to her face; wondering how to push away the sad memories while trying to see the good ones.

“But…we’re here…now. Things have changed and continue to change. Your mom was a fighter to the end. Not just for her life but for yours…. And…” Bonnie’s voice trailed off.

“I know, Aunt Bonnie. You and Mom and…. But me? I don’t think so….I don’t feel like it will ever work. It feels like I have no hope. I can choose between…. But why should I have to?”

“We’ll see, Cade….little steps. First, let’s just look at you. You look like a damn fine Marine.”

“Damned…. I hate myself.” The girl looked down and shook her head.

“Cadence Lindsey Santangelo!”

She heard her name from over her shoulder. Turning around, she found herself face to face with a very angry looking woman… a very angry if welcoming woman.

“Marie? Can you try and talk some sense into her? I don’t know what else to say,” Bonnie said as she wiped the tears from the girl’s face with a tissue; leaving the girl to wince in embarrassment and shame. She stepped close to Marie and kissed her partner in welcome before they both turned their attention to Cadence.

“I’m sorry, Momma,” Cadence said to her mother….her other mother, Marie Louise Santangelo. Marie stepped closer and mimicked Bonnie's gesture from only a few minutes before; holding her child at arm’s length. She was fairly successful at steeling herself to what she saw, and only blinked back a few tears before smiling and squeezing the girl’s arms gently.

“If your Mom was here, she’d be just as proud as I am right this minute!” She stepped closer and kissed Cadence on both cheeks; a blessing and a salute at the same time.

“But Momma….” The girl pulled off the Garrison cap and with it a short wig that had been pinned loosely on the cap.

“You’re my child, Cade....Our child," she said as she looked at Bonnie; the girl's step-mother and sister to the late Lindsey Santangelo.

"And you will make a fine Marine! I am confident of that as much as I am confident of my love and your mother’s love for you! No matter how you started, Cade, you have to know it’s really about where you end up.” Marie hugged Cadence again. The only child….the son of Marie and Captain Lindsey Santangelo….now finally the daughter who had been there all along.

Overcoming obstacles was a second-hand nature to the family. Great-Grandpa Vito didn’t fit in with some folks because of where he was born. Grandpa Andreas didn’t fit in because he rocked the boat. Lindsey didn’t fit in because Grandpa was too demanding until he realized just what a great daughter and fellow Marine stood before him. And Marie and Lindsey together didn’t fit in for a season; things only changing for them as a couple well after Marie had left the service in favor of the love she shared with the woman who bore them their only child. They finally ‘told’ without being ‘asked’ just before Lindsey’s death, which was sad if finally fulfilling.

“You’re not alone in this, Cade. Bonnie is on your side. Your Uncle Sal knows and cares about you. I’m on your side. And your mother is probably doing some fierce advocacy on your behalf up in heaven, okay? WE are all in this together.” She smiled broadly at her daughter; Bonne’s expression mirroring hers in pride and love. The girl nodded; reluctantly at first but with more courage emboldened by the love of her family. She smiled weakly before stepping back; once again looking at herself but with a bit more self-respect and acceptance for the young woman she had become.

“Oh…” Bonnie said suddenly; a conspiratorial grin crossing her face.

“I forgot….this came in the mail.” She produced a letter from the deep pocket of her knee length sweater.

“It’s for you…. Marie….I’m sorry….It sorta came open when I ….opened it.” She practically giggled as she handed the envelope to her sister-in-law.

“Hmmmm….I wonder what this could be,” Marie said; sounding like a playful parent handing a birthday present to her child. It wasn’t a birthday present, but the contents were still cause for celebration.

“Dear Marie. Sorry this took so long to get back to you. Of course a formal letter will be coming your way, but I wanted to send you a note saying that I’m glad you gave me a head’s up. Of course there are some folks who hold onto stuff….everybody I know means well, and they do want to uphold the tradition and honor of the academy.” She paused and arched an eyebrow; another evidence at least to Bonnie of their conspiracy. Cadence tilted her head slightly; wondering what the letter was about and who it might have come from.

“…honor of the academy….” She repeated.

“But everyone wants to see what’s best for the academy going forward, so in the end they all agreed that….” Marie paused again; teasing with a bigger grin than Bonnie’s.

“Nothing about your daughter ….NOTHING is standing in her way, and they’ve accepted my recommendation. So say hi for me. Give Bonnie a hug for her and for Lindsey, God rest her soul. And tell Cadence she’s got a long tradition to uphold in the service and your family. But I wager she’s quite up for the task. Love to you all. (Uncle) Daniel H. Petrovich.”

“Uncle?” Cadence looked at Marie askance.

“Momma? Isn’t that…. Congressman Petrovich?”

“One and the same. He’s been like an uncle to me and then to your mother when we got together. He actually arrived at the hospital just before you were born.

“He …he knows…about…me? He knows?

“Like I said, Cade….and Bonnie and your Uncle Danny will back me up on this…. It’s not where you start that matters that counts.”

“I’m going….to….Annapolis?”

“Yes, Midshipman Santangelo, yes indeed.”

It might have been a bit odd, since the youngest member in the family had just been accepted in the fraternity of officers of the United States Naval Academy to serve in one of the most prestigious branches of any service in the world, the United States Marine Corps. But in the midst of that distinction, Cadence remained a member of an even older organization; a sorority of sorts as a teenage girl, however newly pledged to that illustrious tradition. And she did what anyone just like her would do in her place. She burst into happy, and extremely relieved tears.

“Just one more thing to say, Marine!” Cadence wiped her face with her bare arm and looked at both Marie and Bonnie as they both smiled before snapping off two very emphatic salutes. And they spoke in unison at last,

“OOO-Rah!”