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Although her kids couldn't appreciate it at the time, their widowed mom was a great-looking young woman. She worked in a lawyer's office, and it seemed that guys were always wanting to date her. However, whenever she brought home a new boyfriend to meet her kids, they behaved like spoiled brats. To them, even the word "boyfriend" as it applied to their mother, was unsettling and somehow wrong.

Of course, that wasn't anything different than their usual bratty behavior with all people they considered intruders. Ever since their beloved Colonel Dad was killed in Iraq, any new boyfriend, in the eyes of their mom's kids, couldn't even begin to replace their dad. His Humvee hit a mine in Iraq just after U.S. troops went there in 2003. During and since all the hoopla of the Arlington funeral, his children never seemed to be able to end the pain and grief. How could their mom even think of having a "boyfriend" after being married to the greatest man in the world?

At the time of Colonel Dad's death, Fred was nine, Harold was 11 and Susie was 13. Susie took the loss of her dad the worst, because he had always called her his little princess and treated her royally. His Marine Corps discipline with his two boys was always boot-camp strict, but flavored with a deep love.

Looking back on those terrible times six years after their dad's death, and now all teenagers, his kids should have at last understood why they behaved so badly whenever Mom brought home a male friend. They were selfish, of course, with feelings mixed by loyalty to their dad and ignorance of their mom's needs. Her natural attempt to find some way with another man to heal her shattered life never occurred to her kids. Their opposition troubled her deeply, but she never wavered in her love and loyalty to her kids.

After awhile, their mom stopped bringing men to the house. She threw herself into full-time care for the kids, acting as both mother and father. Through their high school years, she was always there for them. Whether it was to bandage a skinned knee, supervise homework or attend school sports events, their mom was their proudest mentor and cheerleader.

Sometimes, late at night, from their own bedrooms the kids could hear their mom cry out suddenly. When one went in to comfort her, she always laughed and said she was having a bad dream. But her kids knew she was wide awake and crying bitter tears for her beloved Colonel Dad. As her kids went back to their beds, they shed some tears, too.

Also in many boys' baseball or girls' hockey games, there were floods of tears. At moments of victory, when they'd look up into the stands, and there was no personal Marine hero to cheer them on, it was devastating. Their mom was always there, of course, but Colonel Dad's loss was a deep and permanent wound in their hearts.

Susie's high school graduation was a happy occasion, thanks to their mom's efforts to bring family and friends to the ceremony and a big barbecue afterwards. She invited many of Colonel Dad's Marine associates, and by seeing familiar uniforms all over the back yard, his sons and daughter could feel a bit less pain about his absence.

Then during spring break from her freshman year, when Susie came home, she was not alone. There was a tall young man with her, and he was wearing a familiar-looking uniform. Susie smiled shyly and said, Mom, remember the barbecue last year. Well, I met someone very special there. Mom, boys, this is my boyfriend, Second Lieutenant Jack Townsend, U.S. Marine Corps.

Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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