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Charlie was a godsend to the Foundation. When Alex sought someone to manage the day-to-day business, Charlie appeared out of nowhere and ran with it.
Charlie knew firsthand what our military service members, veterans, and their families face in a time of need. Her life had been turned upside down a few years ago when her dad, a Lt. Colonel in the Army, had perished in a helicopter crash in the mountains of Afghanistan. But her tragedies didn’t end there. Her brother, a Marine with the 11thMarine Expeditionary Unit out of California, suffered from severe depression after he returned home from serving two back-to-back deployments in the Middle East. During the last deployment, his unit had been ambushed, resulting in the tragic deaths of over half of his fellow soldiers—many of whom were good friends. Charlie tried to help him as much as she could, but it wasn’t enough. Sadly, her brother took his own life. From that day on, Charlie vowed that she would do whatever it took not to let another soldier feel as if they had nothing to live for.
“Hey, Charlie.”
“Hi. I just wanted to let you know that I was heading out. I think you’re the only one left.”
Alex thought about her call with Admiral Dietrich. Even though it wasn’t official yet, it couldn’t hurt to plant the seed.
“Hey, before you go, do you have a quick minute? There’s something I want to run by you.”
“Sure.” She stepped into the office and took a seat in the chair in front of the desk. “Is everything okay?”
Alex smiled. “Yes. In fact, I just received some positive news from Coronado. Fingers crossed that the project gets the green light in a few days.”
Charlie’s eyes lit up, and that was all that Alex needed to see. “Alex, that’s fantastic. You’ve put so much blood and sweat into making this happen.”
“Well, it’s not quite official yet, but the board of the organization backing it wants to meet with me the day after tomorrow.”
Alex explained everything, and Charlies appeared enthusiastic, which was another positive sign.
“However, if the board approves it on Friday, they are going to want to hit the ground running.”
Charlie furrowed her brows. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing’s wrong with it. It’s just I can’t be in two places at once.”
“Oh.”
“Charlie, you’ve done a tremendous job in the little time you’ve been here. How would you like to take on a more prominent role with the Foundation?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“A Director position. Specifically, the Director of the Coronado site.”
“What? Are you sure you want me to run it?”
“I’m sure as I’ll ever be,” Alex said with a smile.
Charlie sat back in the chair, and Alex watched her closely. This would be a fantastic opportunity for Charlie, mainly since she talked about moving back to California.
Charlie focused on work to keep her mind busy. And if she could save one life in her outreach, then that was all that mattered.
“Charlie, I know it’s a big decision to make, but believe me, if I didn’t think you could handle it, I wouldn’t have offered it to you. You are wonderful at what you do. Because of your own experiences, you can relate to those who are seeking help. If you want to sleep on it and—”
Charlie sat up straight. “I’ll take it.”
Alex smiled. “Really?”
“Really. You know I’ve been talking with my Aunt and Uncle in San Diego and contemplating making a move back out there. With this opportunity, I can and still do what I love doing—helping people.”
“Yes, you can.”
“I don’t know what to say. I mean, thank you, of course.”
“No thanks needed. You earned it, and I know you’ll do great. How about we talk more next week after I get back.”
“Sounds wonderful.” Charlie stood up. “Remember, I’m out of the office tomorrow and Friday, so I’ll see you on Monday.”
