When my niece, a junior partner in a law firm a couple hundred miles away, called and asked if she could bring a friend home for the upcoming three-day weekend, I was more than happy to oblige.

Not only would this afford us the opportunity to see our niece, but since her friend Veronica had volunteered to drive, it would save me two long drives across the state. As it turned out, their visit also provided a late-night encounter I will not soon forget.

My wife had already gone to bed when the girls came in about midnight, after visiting a few of our niece’s friends. I was lying on the couch, watching an old war movie. We chatted for a few minutes, then the girls went upstairs to go to bed. Approximately 30 minutes later, just as the Marines were storming the beach, Veronica walked into the family room.