Lt. Benjamin is well known, and for good reason. Not only was her grandfather a respected admiral himself but she's proven herself to be one of the best fighter pilots of her time.
When she entered the Navy she had one rule. No fighter pilots! She...
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Deployment.
The dreaded word no active military personnel wanted to hear.
"You're being deployed?" Bradley asked all shocked. It was unexpected and last minute.
"Japan" Tucker mumbled.
"Japan?" Bradley questioned as she handed him the letter. She wasn't nervous or scared. This was what she had signed up for.
She was here to serve and protect.
"I heard the signal isn't great out there but we can try to video call. I'll have some downtime a couple hours a week" she reassured him. The two had never spent time apart, lucking out on being on base together for the last year and half.
The same couldn't be said for half of their friends and colleagues who had been shipped all around in the last year.
"How long?" Bradley asked.
"They say six but rumors are nine, minimum" she gently spoke. His chin collapsed to his chest, the weight of his head feeling heavier than usual.
"Bradley, did you really think life would always be peachy in Oceana? This was bound to happen" she muttered, her breath gasping for air as she tried to slow her emotions.
The two clearly weren't on the same page.
"We'll make it through this. We're destined to" she reassured him, placing her hand in his. Tucker took a seat next to him as he kept rereading her deployment letter.
Her free hand rested under his chin, picking it up to face her. She wanted to look at his beloved cute face once more.
"Come on, what do you say? One more ride in the bronco? I'm all packed" she asked trying to cheer him up. Bradley with a small tear brimming in his eye, tried to hide his raspy voice with a cough.
"Yeah" he uttered, trying to act unaffected. Tucker, however, saw right through it. It was what made her love Bradley. He was soft and sensitive at times even when he most definitely didn't want to show it.
He got up, flashing her a fake reassuring smile as he dug around his pocket for the car keys. The two dove off base as the sun began to set to the west.
There they stayed, all night long, at the same lookout from their first date. They didn't say much, just embracing the time they had with each other.
Neither one wanted to say something they would regret, yet but the same time tomorrow they would regret not saying enough.
As the morning sun began to rise on the east Tucker knew it was time to head back. She had a call time of nine am, sharp.
Bradley just wanted to curse out the tip of the sun for even making an appearance.
"Take me back?" she softly asked. Her hand on top of his. He swung his palm around to cup her's with his. He gave a gentle nod okay and reversed out of the spot. The street lamps slowly began to switch off as they approached the base.
The bronco drove down the last bit of highway, cruising peacefully as the sun rose, signaling the start of a new day. The orange yellow skies melted to pure gold.
Tucker rested her chin on the door frame, the window rolled down. The fresh ocean breeze blowing through her hair.
She was trying to soak it up.
Bradley placed a hand on her thigh, and she turned her head, resting her temple onto of the top of her hand, a soft grin on her face.
The grin faded as they pulled back onto base. It wasn't fun and games anymore, the fantasy they had been living here had finally faced reality.
Tucker climbed out of the bronco, stopping at the hood of the car.
"I'll see you in an hour?" she asked, looking down at her wrist watch which rested on her left arm. He nodded and kissed her forehead as she rushed off to get dressed into uniform.
When she returned an hour later her hair was tightly slicked back into a bun. Her hat was pinned to her head and her freshly pressed uniform was on. Her military duffel bag was on her shoulder.
She stepped out of the dormitory to find Bradley pacing outside. The walk wasn't far to the buses which were positioned at the end of the tarmac where the exit of the base was.
"You look nice" Bradley nervously stated. Tucker just smiled. The two walked hand in hand down the road.
As they rounded the corner hoards of people could be seen. Families crying and embracing each other as they send off their child, significant other, parent, sibling.
The buses lined up on the tarmac behind them, waiting to transport those being deployed to the naval ship yard.
Tucker dropped her bag next to her feet as she paused. This was as far as the two could go before Tucker would continue on without him.
She turned around, pressing her uniform down. Bradley reached out, fixing a crooked pin on her shirt.
"We will make it out of this Bradley Bradshaw" she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands hesitantly rested on her lower back. He melted into her body as she held the hug.
"I love you" he huskily murmured into her ear as she pulled away. She lifted her face away from his neck, inhaling his smell one last time.
"I love you too" she responded, holding back the tears she so desperately wanted to cry for him.
But she was strong and she was optimistic. Lt. Benjamin didn't dare shed a tear as it showed weakness, something she fought hard not to show.
She picked up her bag off the ground and gave Bradley one last smile before blowing him a kiss goodbye. She then walked forward.
He was hoping she would look back but Tucker knew better. If she looked back she would succumb to weakness. Tears would surely weep from her eyes.
She smiled as she placed her bag down at the entrance of the bus. She then took a step on, walking down the aisle to an open seat. She looked around at the people who were about to embark on the same mission as her.
"Lt. Benjamin" one the admirals greeted as he stepped onto the bus. "It's an honor to have you with us" he continued. Tucker smiled, giving the smallest bow with her head. She didn't want to seem to conceived or cocky.
"Thank you, sir" she weakly muttered. He began to converse with another solider. Tucker glanced out the small bus window.
She had once missed California but Virginia beckoned to be home.
