"Goodnight mom, I love you and I will call you every chance I get" I promised as I gave her a hug before I went up to my own room for the night, not wanting to wake her up when I left for work.
"I love you more" she pulled my head down to hers and kissed my forehead gently. "Remember to always follow your dreams my little sunshine"
I smiled gently at her, standing up and reluctantly turning away, knowing how much I will miss her while I'm gone. I sat in my window that night, looking out at the suburban streets below, quiet and peaceful. With a sigh I climbed off my windowsill and made my way to my bed, tucking myself in for my last night of peace before the exciting chaos of deployment.
Today is my first day of deployment. I will be leaving for the next six weeks on a ship with Bradshaw by my side, that is if I can get past my father.
I closed my book and rolled out of my bed, standing gracefully as I put my notebook in my duffle bag and zipped it back up. Slinging the bag over my shoulders I had walked down the stairs as quietly as possible, wincing as a step creaked loudly beneath me.
"Nicole? Is that you?" My fathers voice called out to me from downstairs where he seemed to be waiting. I winced slightly at the sound of my name, knowing there was no easy way out.
"Yeah, it's me" I took the last step and dropped my bag by the door, meeting my father in the kitchen where he sat at the table with his newspaper and coffee. "Morning" I mumbled, pouring myself a cup of coffee as well and leaning my back against the counter as I also grabbed an apple.
"What are you doing up this early?" He asked, eyes still trained on the paper in his hands.
"Thought I would go for a run before the day starts" I claimed, lying with ease.
"You always shower before a run?" He spared a glance towards me. My perfectly combed back hair and tight knit bun catching his eye. I froze in place, not having a response for him this time. I carefully and quickly moved to set my mug in the sink, taking the apple I have yet to eat and moving past my father at the table. "Nicole" he spoke my name out in a stern tone that would normally cause me to freeze on the spot, but after being yelled at by superiors for months I was no longer afraid of my father.
I kept moving, not looking back as I sped into the living room and grabbed my bag, only for another hand to catch the handle, holding it between us in a game of tug of war, each of us staring each other down.
"Nicole" he spoke my name again, slowly and darkly.
"Father" I replied in the same tone, not backing down. "I'm going"
"No, you're not. I won't let you go fill your head with foolish nonsense thinking that you can do a man's job"
"A man's job? Really?" I asked harshly. "Last time I checked the 'man' of this house sat on his ass at a bank all day while I've trained to be a naval aviator" I scoffed back, voice laced with venom.
"I forbid you from going" he began again.
"Watch me" I glared, ripping my bag from his grip and storming out of the house, slamming the door behind me as I stepped out into the darkness of the early morning. I stomped towards my car and threw my bag harshly in the backseat, getting in and slamming my door shut with anger. I leaned my head against the wheel with a long sigh, before shaking my head and backing out of the driveway, knowing I was leaving way earlier than I had to.
~~~
"Early as always, sunshine" Bradshaw commented as he pulled up in his truck next to me, both of our windows rolled down to let in the fresh morning air. The sun had began to rise while I read my book, waiting in the car for others to arrive at the base. With a sigh I looked up at him and rolled up my windows, not to be rude but simply because I was getting out of the car. He followed my example and rolled up his own windows, getting out to grab his bag from the backseat like me. Bradshaw glanced over at me carefully as I still have yet to speak to him, a stern look on my face from the argument with my father almost two hours ago.
"What's up?" He asked casually, not wanting to push as we walked side by side towards the ship, moving through the crowd of family's hugging their loved ones goodbye temporarily.
"My fathers an ass" I muttered, moving past him up the ramp as he let me go up first, being a gentleman as always.
"But your mom and you are so nice" he followed behind me confused.
"He refused to let me come on this deployment because 'it's a man's job'" I mocked his gruff voice, earning a chuckle from Bradshaw which brought a small smile to my face.
"I see you listened" he nudged me once we were side by side again.
"You know it" I smiled back wider this time. "Couldn't leave my pilot without his WSO now could I?" I asked back. "You would be lost without me"
"There's my sunshine" Bradshaw smiled proudly at me.
"Sunshine? Is that really going to stick?" I asked, my face scrunched up in disapproval.
"I think it's the perfect callsign" he claimed, both of us making our way onto the runway to report to our supervisors.
"Bradshaw and Danvers?" The man on deck asked when we walked over, looking around in amazement at how far we had come from the academy.
"Yes, sir"
"Welcome, MacDonald here will show you to your bunks, we will leave tonight and you'll start tomorrow morning on your first flight" the strict man told us simply before turning away to something else.
Bradshaw and I nodded together awkwardly before following after MacDonald into the ship. We had settled into our bunks separately as the rest of the crew got settled in as well. By dinner time we had launched from the doc and were on our way to the sea.
"Hey" Bradshaw came up behind me in line for dinner.
"Hi" I smiled back at him before we each stepped out of line and made our way towards a table.
"Ready to start flying tomorrow?"
"Of course, are you?" I challenged with a smirk, leaning forward.
"Always" he said with pride.
~~~
"Bradshaw, smile" I told him as I held up my old camera, Bradshaw starting pre flight of the flight deck.
"What?" He turned around to face me with confusion.
"Smile" I repeated. He shook his head with a slight laugh before smiling in his flight suit in front of the jet, allowing me to take the picture.
"Okay, you got your picture, now can you help me out with this preflight?" He asked as he turned back to work. I nodded along and started to prepare the jet when suddenly Bradshaw called my attention again. "Sunshine, smile" he called out as I had gotten into the jet and he had taken my camera. He got a picture of me, handing me the camera as he got into the pilots seat.
"Ghost one, you are good to go" the comms tower told us as the flight squad was known as the ghost squad, Bradshaw and I being ghost one.
"Off we go" Bradshaw stated as he started to taxi us onto the deck, picking up speed and lifting off the ship and into the air.
"Woohoo!" I cheered out from behind him with a wide smile, Bradshaw laughing at my enthusiasm.
~~~
The four weeks of our deployment flew by fast, coming to an end within a few days. We were on the runway, getting out of our jet after a regular patrol when I spotted a woman watching us from the entrance to the ship.
"Hey, Rooster, do you know her?" I nodded towards the woman and he covered his eyes from the glare of the sun, looking over. He was standing from his seat in the jet while I climbed down the ladder from the wing, to reach the ground.
"No, I don't think so" he shook his head before following me down.
"Mmm" I nodded along with a slight hum. "I'll meet you in the mess hall for dinner" I waved to him as we went down separate hallways to get cleaned up.
"Excuse me, hi" the woman from earlier approached us in the common room where I was sitting on the couch reading and Rooster was beside me watching a movie on the TV.
"Hey" Rooster nodded to her with simple politeness.
"I just wanted to say that I think your flying is amazing, I was watching you earlier today when you came back from your patrol" she smiled at Bradshaw as if I wasn't even there. I looked between the two curiously before giving her my full attention, wanting to see where this could go.
"Hey, do you wanna watch this movie with us?" I offered, nodding to the chair next to the couch and closer to Rooster.
"Yeah, thanks" she smiled and sat down.
"Oh Uh, my moms calling I gotta take this" I pulled out my phone as It buzzed in my pocket and I stood to leave as Bradshaw looked up at me with panic in his eyes. He sent me a glare which I understood as him being frustrated that I was leaving him alone with her but I just smiled and walked out to answer the phone.
"Hey mom" I greeted as I walked back to my bunk.
"Hello, my little sunshine" she greeted in her soft voice.
"Ill be back in a week" I announced, excited to see her again.
"About that, your father has set up a date for you when you return" she began regretfully as I closed my eyes with a sigh, leaning back against the wall. "He is the son of your fathers friend and he is incredibly rich, he seems like a nice guy from what your father has told me and I hope you'll give him a chance"
"Okay mom, I'll give him a chance and I'll see you in a week" I reminded.
"I'll see you then, I love you my little sunshine" she said, calling me by my old nickname which happened to relate to my new callsign.
~~~
"What are you doing tonight? I thought maybe we could go out, get some snacks and have a movie night at my place" Rooster suggested as the ship had been docked up and we were making out way off the ship.
"Ah I've got to go to some stupid dinner date with my dads rich friends son or something" I complained with a groan, walking alongside him.
"I'm sure you'll enjoy that" Rooster tried to seem enthusiastic.
"I doubt it, I'd much rather have a movie night with my pilot." I claimed as I walked down the ramp in front of him. I waited for him at the end, turning and watching him walk down. "Oh, you know who you should invite, Regan" I thought proudly.
"Regan?"
"Yeah, the engineer girl from the pentagon" I reminded him. "Oh there she is!" I pointed her out in the crowd but as I went to call out her name a hand clamped down over my mouth. "Rude" I turned to Bradshaw after pushing his arm away.
"I don't need your help to get a date" he claimed calmly with a shrug as we started off towards our cars.
"Are you sure about that?" I challenged with a raised brow.
"Maybe I'm just not interested in dating right now" he offered a thought.
"And why wouldn't you be interested in dating Regan, she clearly likes you"
"Maybe I'm waiting for someone else"
"Ah the perfect woman" I nodded along at how dream like his words sounded.
"Yeah, my dream woman" he agreed. "She would have to be smart, fun, get along well with others but be able to stand up for herself" he listed off the top of his head, pausing to put his bag in the backseat of his truck.
"Woah, sounds nearly impossible" I commented, putting my bag in the backseat of my own car.
"Yeah, you would think so, but I know she's out there" he stated almost matter of factly with ominous pride.
"Alright then lover boy, wish me luck and I'll tell you all about it later" I waved, getting into the drivers seat.
"Good luck" he waved with a smile, watching me pull away before he drove back towards his house.
———————————————————
Question of the day: what do you think of Roosters dream woman?