Righteous - Bradley Bradshaw

~Is it terrifying?

"Little bubba. You get back here!" Running away from him, Oakley's giggles can be heard throughout the neighborhood. "No daddy don't!" Reaching his daughter, he picks her up and starts tickling her. 

"Who got you huh?" Smiling as she tries to slip out of his arms, Ryan continues to tickle her. 

"The tickle monster." Oakley pants out. They lay down looking up at the sky. They waste the afternoon away, trying to figure out what each cloud is supposed to be. 

"Daddy daddy. I wanna do that." Ryan follows her finger pointing to a plane flying through the clouds. "You want to go on a plane?" 

"No daddy, you are silly I wanna fly one." 

"Well then, if you want to fly a plane, you have to go to school." Ryan smirks at his daughter as she plays with the grass. 

"No, I hate school." 

"Well then, no planes for you."

"Mommy! Where are you going?" Turning around, Oakley and her dad watch as her mom, Cindy, drags two suitcases behind her to her car. "Ryan, I'm leaving." 

"Are you going on a trip mama?" Oakley takes off running as the realization hits Ryan. 

"Hi baby. I won't be back for a while okay? You know I love you. I'll be back." Picking her up, Cindy holds her close. 

"So that's it huh? No explanation, no nothing?" Ryan stands there, watching as she continues to pack the car.  "I'm sorry Ryan. I really am, I just can't do this anymore." 

"Bubba, can you go inside please?" 

"But what about the plane?" Oakley asks. "No, inside." Ryan snaps. 

"So, you are just going to leave that little girl? Your little girl?"

Ever since that day, Oakley waited and waited for her mom to come back. She waited for a letter, a present, anything from her. 

She got the point after 4 years of waiting. The 'trip' her mom was going on, well, it must be so fantastic because she didn't come home. She will never forget the day it finally clicked for her. 

Since that day, Oakley has been terrified of loss. Losing her dad, it's a kind of grief that never goes away, it gets worse over time, because you have photos of what they look like but, what about their voice? Their laugh?

 It's so hard to move on in life when you realize you forgot how they said your name. 

That is what terrifies Oakley the most. 

"Hey, oak. We are gearing up." Maverick places his hand on her shoulder, breaking her out of her thoughts. 

"Oh right. Sorry." 

"Hey, Skywalker. Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine, sir." Walking away, she takes in a deep breath as she gets her helmet. This mission never felt more real then it did on the walk to her jet. The toll that it will take is rough. 

Usually when she gets in her jet, it's going through the motions but this time, something in the air is different. Which is why she takes some time to inspect everything in and out.