Callsign Echo: A Top Gun Story

Homestead

Buying a house is a feat in itself, let alone in San Diego in the neighborhood that her father's house sat. Samantha, who was affectionately called Sammy, did it. And she did it with her husband, Bradley. And there they raise two children, one boy and one girl.
In the evening, a tired Sam busted through the garage door exhausted from work, but was nonetheless a happy woman. How could she not be? Bradley was an amazing partner and the greatest father, her two kids were healthy and happy and got good grades in school, and her mother was down the street from her. As a Commander, she was in charge of a squadron at San Diego base, but was up for a promotion and a duty station change. But due to her success in the mission years ago that put her and Bradley in Big Navy's eyes, she had top and first pick of her stations.
She found her husband at the dining room table with their two kids, Nicki and Tommy, presumably doing homework. But the sound of their mother greeting everyone and shutting the garage door behind her cause everyone to get up.
Her oldest, Nicki, came running first yelling for her mother. The little one, Tommy, hopped down from the chair and followed his sister.
Sam knelt down and hugged her children tight, as she always did, and gave them each a kiss on the temple. She asked them how their day was and if they had behaved or rather, didn't give their father a hard time.
"I'm learning about long division in math right now, and I think I like it!" Nicki, short for Nicolette, shouted with a big smile. Sam gave her a very enthusiastic smile back.
"That's awesome! You know me and your dad are math wizzes so you get that from us," Sam said proudly, before diverting her attention to her five year old, who started Kindergarten that year.
"I got told that I can read good," Tommy, short for Thomas, interjected with a beaming grin.
"I bet you can! You can thank your dad for all those books he went and got," Sam darted her attention towards Bradley who stood their bashfully. Sam recollected the time she told him that she was pregnant with Tommy, and Bradley said to her that they needed to go get children's books. So what does he do? Goes and buys every book about planes, math, the Navy, you name it.
The Bradshaw kids excused themselves and ran back to the dining room, leaving Bradley and Sam alone.
"I missed you, sweetheart," he whispered to Sam, pulling her in for a kiss.
"You say that every time I go to work," Sam chuckled.
"Yeah, well, last time we went to work together all those years ago, we almost died. So, can you blame me," Bradley whispered, not to alert the children. They haven't had to deal with death other than the mention of grandparents. The talk made Bradley more or less uncomfortable while discussing Sam's dad made her a hundred percent not okay. But a tough conversation had to be had.
"No," Sam smiled a bit. "But you have to admit that maneuver I pulled was pretty good."
  "That maneuver scared the shit out of me, Sam," he said exasperated, but then cheekily grinned.  "It was pretty good."
  The two were interrupted by their children tugging on their shirts looking up at them.  Sam looked down and looked at Nicki, who was the one that would speak for the two of them.
  "We are hungry," she stated, standing back from her parents with her arms folded and a pout on her face.  Sam looked at her son and raised an eyebrow.
  "Are you two hungry?" She asked him, which she got a nod.  Sam looked back up at her husband who let go of his wife and walked towards the fridge.
  "I pulled out chicken, so I figured I could do something easy like boneless wings?" Bradley asked for Sam's opinion inadvertently, staring at his wife from the open fridge.  The two children bounced over to their dad and peeked inside the fridge, looking at everything they had.
  "That's fine with me, but make sure you give them a vegetable," Sam chuckled.  "You two help your dad cook while I get changed and showered."
  Her two kids gave the best salute a child could give before Sam walked away with her backpack still slung on her shoulder.  She walked down the hallway and towards the bedrooms, admiring the pictures she had that hung on the wall.  Pictures of her and Bradley, all four of them, their parents, friends, you name it.  Sam stared at them for a split second before settling in her dad's last official Navy photo.  A small five by seven picture sat next to her recent photo.  She chuckled at the resemblance before touching it lightly.
  "I miss you, Dad," Sam whispered before moving on to get changed and ready for dinner.