Free Falling

Chapter 7: Hellos and Goodbyes

The remainder of the week went by fairly quickly, and thank the heavens because Annabelle was more than ready to see her parents again. After a year and half of nothing more than phone calls and video chats, Annabelle longed to be able to hug her parents and hear their voices up close. And now that she knew what she knew, she had to be sure to savor every moment left with the two of them. 

Things had remained tense at training amongst all the aviators. As the day of the mission approached, everyone became increasingly on edge. Every man was out for themselves. There was no teamwork. No collaboration or communication. With seemingly no progress being made in phase one, Annabelle became more and more worried that not everyone would make it back alive. The only thing that made it all bearable was Bob. The two had spent almost every spare moment together the last three days, sitting beside each other in between training drills, and hanging out in each other's dorms at the end of each day. While Annabelle enjoyed the comfort and peace that came with being in Bob's presence, it became all the more difficult to not fall hopelessly in love with the WSO. It had only been a week, yet Annabelle felt as if she'd known Bob her entire life. He understood her in ways no one else had, not even Rooster. He seemed to always know when something was amiss, and he always knew exactly what to say or do to make her feel better. It was getting to a point where Annabelle knew they'd eventually have to talk about what happens after the mission. What would happen when they were stationed across the country from one another? When their odds of ever working together again were slim to none? But before she could dive too deep into these terrifying thoughts, she first had to make it through today. 

Annabelle had been quiet all morning, offering no more than a soft hello to Bob when he came to pick her up for the barbeque, and only spoke when giving directions to her parent's house on the drive there. Bob knew she was worried about something, what though she had yet to tell him, and he could tell it wasn't his place to know before absolutely necessary. Instead, he offered a soothing hand on her thigh as they drove along the coast to the Kazansky's. 

When they finally arrived, Bob turned off the car and looked to Annie, who had yet made a move to exit the vehicle. 

"Hey. If you've decided you don't want me to go with you, I don't have to. I can pick you up later if you'd like." Annabelle lifted his hand from her thigh to hold it in her own, softly tracing the lines in the palm of his hand. 

"No, it's not that. It's just... this barbeque isn't entirely a happy occasion. My dad--" Annabelle's words caught in her throat as she felt a sob trying to emerge from within. Bob, seeing how distressed Annabelle truly was, took her face in his hands to kiss the top of her head, leaning back slightly after to look her in the eyes, his hands never leaving her face. 

"Hey, it's okay. I don't need to know the specifics if you're not comfortable sharing." Annabelle shook her head in his hands, tears now slowly rolling down her cheeks only to be stopped by Bob's soft touch. 

"My dad is dying. He got throat cancer a while back and we thought it had all cleared up, but it's come back. He doesn't have much longer left. This party is likely the last time I'll see him." Bob found himself at a loss for words. He couldn't imagine losing a parent while still so young. But knowing how close Annabelle was with her father made the pain in his heart for her sting all the worse. 

"Belle, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what you must be feeling." For the first time in the conversation, Annabelle lifted her eyes to meet Bob's gaze. 

"I know it might be silly and I don't want it to feel like I might be making a bigger deal out of what this is than I should be but, I wanted you to meet him. Just once, and not as Lieutenant Floyd. As Bob. As my Bob. That's why I asked you to come with me. I hope that's okay." Bob found himself both stunned and flattered by Annabelle's confession. To know that she liked him enough to want him to meet her parents, her father in particular, was truly no small thing, and Bob knew that. He wasn't sure he would ever get used to just how highly Belle thought of him. Feeling like it was the only right thing to do in the moment, Bob slowly leaned forward and pressed the softest of kisses to Annie's lips. The kiss was so quick and light, Annabelle thought she might have just imagined it, but the look on Bob's face as he leaned back slightly from her told her that she hadn't. The kiss was real. And it was perfect.