Free Soldier Up by Unknown

blessed they were.
                  A few days prior to the baby being born they were wondering slowly through Walmart, Mel was waddling through the store and John was more or less assisting by pushing Kai in the shopping cart and acting like it was a race car, Kai was having a ball.
                  In the sporting goods isle Mel was planning ahead and looking for some new work out gear she could use after the baby was born.  From behind them they heard, “Well I’ll be a son-of-a-bitch!”
                  John and Mel turned around to see who had said that, what Mel saw was some Hispanic man in a uniform standing there looking at John.  What John saw was Sergeant Major Dognillo in his Class A uniform and in his hand holding a Green Beret.  John’s jaw dropped, he had no idea how to respond, he had spent so much time and effort hiding the Army from Mel and now here it was literally starring them in the face.
                  Dognillo couldn’t help but notice the beautiful woman standing next to the Major was very pregnant. He stuck out his hand towards here, “I’m Sergeant Major Dognillo, your husband? boyfriend? Significant other? friend? and I served together in the Army.”
                  Mel laughed and shook his hand, “Wife and mother.”
                  “Let me get this straight, you’re actually claiming that you’re married to him?” Dognillo thrusting a thumb towards the Major.  You could hear John groan.
                  “Yes, yes I am.” Mel was laughing as she could see how uncomfortable her husband was.  John failed to see any humor in this.
                  “Cat got your tongue Major?” asked the Sergeant Major.  With that John hung his head and shook it back and forth.  “What’s the problem tiger?” said the Sergeant Major.
                  Mel was all but lying on the floor of Walmart laughing her ass off.  “Wait.” John thought to himself, “Something’s not right.”
                  John asked, “Am I missing something here?”
                  “How so sweetheart?” replied Mel.
                  “Well, all of a sudden some Green Beret aka Special Forces Sergeant Major shows up out of my past, says we used to work together and all you can do is laugh?”
                  Sergeant Major Dognillo was now caught in the middle of something he had no idea about, “Ok what the hell is going on?”
                  Mel felt sorry for her husband, she knew he must be struggling internally with what just happened and doesn’t have clue one on how to proceed, she said, “Sergeant Major it’s very VERY nice to meet you and thank you for your service.  John and I have been together now for over two years closer to three actually.  He’s only mentioned once to me that he was in the Army, outside of that he has refused to talk about it.”
                  “Is that so?” stated Dognillio flatly, glaring at the Major.
                  “It is so, but what John doesn’t know is that I know he was an Army Ranger, Army Special Forces and I think a member of Delta.”
                  John’s eyes got a big as saucers and he was staring at Mel and for the second time in less than twenty minutes his jaw dropped open. Both Mel and the Sergeant Major got a good laugh at how he looked.
                  “Yes John I also know you were an Officer, a Major, I wasn’t sure about that until now though.” she laughed again.  Sergeant Major Dognillo couldn’t stop laughing.
                  John now finally looked at the Sergeant Major, “Shut up Dog!” with that Major Clayton, US Army, stuck out his hand towards his friend and both men shook and hugged.  That was the first time Mel had ever seen him hug another man, outside of his father.    “Why are you