Come Back To Me ~ M.Garcia

forty

Top Graduates.

Time for the next part.

It seemed so soon to be at the graduation ceremony.

Rows upon rows of chairs were filled with friends and fellow graduates.

All prepared to be rewarded of months of hard work and dedication.

Among them, Lucia, Bob, Reuben, Logan, and Mickey sat side by side, anticipation coursing through their veins.

Lucia's heart raced with a mixture of excitement and nerves.

Graduation day had finally arrived, the crowning achievement of their Top Gun journey.

She stole a glance at the plaque at the front of the stage, where the names of the top graduates would soon be engraved.

A place of honor that every aviator had earned through their dedication and skill.

Her gaze lingered on the plaque, her name alongside Bob's, their achievement etched in history was a dream that she hoped to come true today.

Four rows away, Tom Kazansky's name caught her eye.

A reminder of the legacy she had admired since childhood.

Iceman had been her idol, her inspiration to pursue a career in aviation.

And now?

To possibly see her name placed just a few rows from his was a surreal dream she hope would come true.

The ceremony began, and speeches filled the air, each word a celebration of their achievements and the challenges they had overcome.

"Look at these Aviators," says Warlock as he stands at the podium, holding the sides of it as he smiled.

"To say I'm proud would be an understatement,"

The sun's glow transformed into a warm embrace.

The graduates sit in its radiance as they listened with a mix of pride and nostalgia.

Everyone clapped, the energy in the air a reflection of the shared journey that had led them to this moment.

When the time came to announce the top graduates, Lucia's heart thudded.

The moment she waited for.

"Before we announce the names, I just want to say that these two aviators have shown strong dedication and perserverance. They continued to amaze us through out this journey and I can not wait to see the next journey they embark on and where it will lead them," Admiral Warlock says with a smile.

He steps aside and lets Admiral Cyclone take the stand.

"Every year I tell myself it's just a graduation and to not get too emotional and every year I don't listen to myself," Cyclone says smiling.

Theres a small eruption of laughter that dies down quickly.

"But much like Warlock, I too am so beyond greatful to have worked with everyone of you and these two aviators in particular. Their strength, team work, and friendship has brought them a long way and now they will get to join the other aviators from over the years,"

Lucia holds her breath, waiting for the response.

Her heart raced.

She hoped it was she and Bob but she knew that if they hadn't made it on the plaque then they at least they had an amazing experience.