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him with questions.
                  “Tyson, who the hell is that woman? If she went to West Point, why is she enlisted?” Jones had asked.
                  “Jessica and I...We used to date.”
    Tyson thought about those words – used to date . They seemed completely inadequate for describing what had been between him and Jessica. Dating seemed so...limited, so lacking in depth to express how they had loved. He had loved her.
    “We were together at West Point. I don’t know what she’s doing here or why she’s enlisted. Jess... Jessica left the academy a few months into our last year and that was it. I talked to her for a while after and then she…stopped communicating with me. Completely.”
                  “So, she didn’t graduate. That explains the enlisted thing…I guess. Though, I don’t know why you’d leave an academy just to turn around and join up enlisted.”
                  “Me either,” Tyson had agreed.
                  “Didn’t know you were into Black chicks,” Marcus had teased with a grin.
                  “I’m into chicks. At the time, I was just into Jess,” Tyson had replied.
    It had been true. He had wanted Jessica and only Jessica. When they were together, he had never even noticed other women. She had been his friend, his battle buddy, his confidante. And, when she’d become his lover, his girl , it was like all the pieces had fallen into place.
     
    Seven and one-half years ago; US Military Academy, New York
                  “Damn, damn, damn,” Jessica said. She was shaking her hanging head. Again. She kicked up dust as she tromped along beside him.
                  “Jessica, stop worrying about this. It’s no big deal.”
    Tyson looked over at Jessica. She was angry, mostly with herself. He’d been trying to calm her down on their long walk back to Lee Barracks. She’d been his friend ever since they’d met their first day as entering plebes into the Academy. Now they were third classmen, in the middle of their second year at USMA. They were in the same regiment and company along with her roommate and his. They were all good friends and each tried to encourage and look out for the others. Cadet life wasn’t unbearable, but it wasn’t a cake-walk either. It was good to have people who had your back. Usually, Jessica was the one boosting morale. She typically excelled in all things military. It was freakish in a way. She was almost too good at soldiering. She caught on quickly and seemed like a natural. But, today she’d made a stupid mistake and their commander had come down on her…hard. When they had been dismissed, Tyson had immediately started in on cheering her up.
                  “Maybe he’s right. Maybe I don’t belong here. Although, if I don’t deserve this it’s not for the reason he thinks,” she said with disgust.
                  “Jessica, come on. You know you deserve to be here. You’re one of the best in our class, almost as good as me,” he tried joking her back into good spirits.
                  “Yeah, but you’re a guy. Nobody tells you men you don’t belong here because of what’s between your legs,” she’d said. “Everyone with a vagina is unworthy to that jerk. Each time one of us girls messes up, we set the female cadets back forty years. And, then none of us deserves to be here.”
    She was right; some of the men at USMA had little respect for the female cadets. They weren’t the majority, and female cadets like Jess proved them wrong daily. Tyson knew that she knew that. She was hell bent on being harder on herself than the commander, though.
                  “But, you know that’s not true. You made a mistake. You’ll do better tomorrow, because you’re good. You’re a Soldier and you’ll get it right tomorrow. So, screw that guy. Yeah?” She just looked at him, her big,