Why Didn't You Marry An Officer?

"So okay," she said as she dragged a carrot through a puddle of ranch that was on her plate. "You said your mother was an officer in the Air Force?"

I nodded as I swallowed a bite of cookie. I was at another Scentsy party. I was working hard to be more social. Plus there was usually good food at the parties. So I'd go and listen about products if I got cookies.

"Just wondering," the girl continued. She took a bite of carrot. Chewed. Swallowed. And then said, "why didn't you marry an officer then?"

I nearly choked on my cookie. I grabbed the cup of Sprite beside me and took a gulp.

"No offense," she added sweetly. She couldn't have been older than twenty one. She was a new Air Force wife. I became one at nineteen. I remembered the naivety. Hell, even now, fifteen years in, I still can be pretty damn naive at times.

I thought about her question and wondered if other people ever thought it. Was I supposed to marry an officer just because my mother was one? Honestly, there was even a time when Tom played around with becoming an officer. But then he got busy and I never cared. I always told him I'd support him in whatever he wanted to do. I was thrilled when he went into K9.

When he had to deploy, I told him I'd be there when he got back:

Now he's a military training instructor, and I couldn't be more proud:

So I looked at the girl. Smiled. And gave her the simplest answer I had:

"I didn't marry an officer, because I didn't fall in love with one."