For Jessie, there are several times of the year that are more painful than others, and Memorial Day coming up is one of them. It is a reminder of how everything changed two years ago when her brother was killed in Afghanistan. A reminder of how she lost not only her brother, but her best friend. There isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t miss him. After all, they used to talk every single day, without fail.

Brian was a handsome Soldier, superb at his job, and quickly climbing the ranks. Jessie was very proud of him. She is still very proud of him, but now that pride comes with the ache of loss. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC, and Jessie plans to go there to visit his grave on Memorial Day. She tried to get other members of her family to go, but no one else was ready to make that trip again. The last time the family had gone to DC, it was to bury Brian at Arlington.

So Jessie would make this journey by herself, but she didn’t relish the thought of going to a strange city, where she knew no one, alone. She wished she could find someone to go with her, but all of her friends had plans for the holiday weekend. To everyone else, it was a long weekend for trips and partying, but to her, it was solemn and something very different. People had a hard time understanding that.

Jessie thought about the male escort agency she used when she had important work functions and needed a date – Cowboys 4 Angels. She wished she could bring one of them along. Just then, she had a thought. She wondered if any of the Cowboys were veterans.  If one of them was, it might be a perfect solution. As she scrolls through the website, she sees that several of the Cowboys are veterans. So she calls the number and speaks to Garren to figure out which one might be the best fit for this mission. In talking with him, she explained her situation and found out two of the men had actually been injured during their service and bore the scars as evidence – Gavin in South Florida and James in Las Vegas. Either one would have been fine, but Florida was certainly less of a cost for travel, so she selected Gavin. After finalizing all of the arrangements with Garren, Jessie felt so much better knowing she didn’t have to do this alone.

Flying into DC on Friday morning, Jessie could see the Washington Monument as the plan made its approach to land at Washington Reagan National Airport. She grabbed her luggage and headed to the hotel. She chose The Willard for it’s central location in the city. Gavin would fly in this afternoon, and they would meet for dinner, so she has time to relax and maybe take a little nap.

As Jessie walked into Old Ebbitt Grill, the oldest saloon and grill in Washington, she recognized Gavin right away. He looked exactly like his photos, only better in person as he greeted her with a hug.

“Thank you so much for agreeing to do this,” Jessie whispered.

“Absolutely! I feel honored to accompany you on this mission Jessie,” he said.

Once seated, they had wine and Oysters Rockefeller as a starter. Gavin asked Jessie to tell him about Brian. They talked and laughed over precious childhood and adult memories of sibling rivalry. For dinner, Jessie ordered the Copano Blues Shrimp and Pimento Grits Cake, while Gavin had the Slow Smoked Beef Short Rib. Both were delicious. The conversation was easy and relaxed, like two old friends reminiscing. Jessie asked Gavin about his experience as a Ranger working in Special Operations and his new mission catching child predators.

After dinner, they decided to walk off some of the calories. So they strolled hand-in-hand along the National Mall and looked at all of the monuments. The Mall was so peaceful at night and the monuments were breathtaking lit up in all their majesty against the dark. Jessie really enjoyed walking around, since she had not been able to see any part of the city when they came for Brian’s burial. The whole city’s vibe is distinctly patriotic.

Back at the hotel, they sipped wine on the balcony looking out over the city. Jessie asked about Gavin’s injuries and talked about how Brian died. The conversation was a reflective on life and death. Gavin put his arms around her from behind and held her close as Jessie leaned back and closed her eyes to the rest of the world.

The next day after a leisurely breakfast, they headed out into the city, taking the Metro to Arlington National Cemetery. Jessie felt nauseous as they got closer, and Gavin squeezed her hand. When they emerged into the sunlight, they went into the Welcome Center. Jessie couldn’t remember the section number where her brother was buried, so they had to look it up in the registry.

They purchased tickets for the trolley and first went to the Tomb of the Unknowns to watch the sentinels. As Jessie watched the changing of the tomb guard, she felt immense pride at her brother’s choice to serve and imagined him performing his duties. She was amazed at the precision of the guards as they executed their moves.

Map in hand, Jessie and Gavin set out to find Brian’s resting place. The rows and rows of crosses marking the gravesites, was both comforting and eerie. There were a lot of relatives moving around various tombstones, visiting their loved ones. After a short walk, they came to the correct section. They watched the numbers on the markers until they arrived at Brian’s number. Jessie felt dizzy and nauseous all at once, and Gavin put his arm around her waist to steady her.

She dropped to her knees in front of the headstone and traced her brother’s name with her fingers. Tears rolled down her cheek, as Gavin knelt behind her with his hands on her shoulders. She noticed there were stones placed on top of the cross at her brother’s grave, so she asked Gavin why they were there. He explained that it likely meant that members of her brother’s unit or someone that knew him had been there at some point to visit. The stones are left so the family knows someone else who knew their loved one was there. She found it comforting to know others had visited Brian. They sat there for a while just talking about protocol, military life, and Brian’s career. Jessie was glad she had come.

Gavin helped Jessie to her feet when she indicated she was ready. She hugged him tight and said, “Thank you.” As they walked away from Brian’s grave site, they heard the lonesome sound of Taps playing as another family began their journey as members of the Gold Star community.