A Lost Ghost

Chapter 21: Home

I step out of the Uber and stare at my childhood house. Not the one my mom and dad used to live in but the one my mom moved us to after she left. I swallow hard as my heart races within my chest. I curl my fingers around the strap of my duffel bag and start towards the porch.

You're not gonna cry, I tell myself. You're not gonna cry. You're not gonna cry. I step onto the porch and knock. My eyes flick towards the window as laughing erupts from inside the house. I peek around the corner to see the driveway full of cars. I recognize my uncle's beat-up truck. My grandparent's black SUV...and my dad's old Camaro. My head whips towards the door as I hear footsteps behind it. I gulp and take in a deep breath. My breath hitches, my heart freezing as my mother opens the door. Her dark eyes instantly swell with tears. A whimpering hiccup escapes her lips as she steps onto the porch. I bite my cheek, but it doesn't stop my eyes from watering. She smiles, reaches up, and cups my face. I don't even care about what she's done. I understand it now. I forgive her. I drop my duffel bag and wrap my arms around her. Despite my best efforts, the tears slip down my cheeks. I squeeze hard, happy to finally hug her again.

"Miles?"

I look up to see my dad in the doorway. Before Mom and I can move, he rushes over and hugs us both. I bury my face in their shoulders. The world around me fades, and I melt into the loving arms of my parents. I can't remember the last time I hugged either of them.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. My mom and dad back away. My eyes dart between both of them. My heart flutters with joy.

"We love you so much and I knew I'd see you again," Mom croaks.

I smile and glance inside my house. My heart sinks but with...happiness. I didn't really think that was possible until now. My aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins are all inside, laughing, smiling, eating. Just like they used to when I was a kid. I wipe my tears away, still not believing I got out of Russia alive, but being out there taught me something very important. The people I was out there with taught me something very important. Akio taught me to always be positive. Matrix taught me how to be humble...or tired, at least. I didn't notice until now. Cheung taught me that the past cannot be changed, forgotten, or edited. It can only be accepted. And although they'll all be nothing more than lost ghosts trapped inside my mind, I'll live by what they taught me and never ever forget. Every single day until I see them again.

15 Years Later

You're all probably wondering what happened to me. You really think I wouldn't fill you in? After everything we've been through? Well, the war ended with an Allied victory about a year after I got home. I even took a trip up to Japan and gave Akio's necklace back to his girlfriend. She didn't sob or wail when I told her. Her grief was horribly discrete but as silent and present as bleeding from an empty wound. That was one of the hardest conversations I've ever had. But I made sure she knew that he didn't die alone. I knew it wouldn't help and that it wouldn't bring him back, but I made sure she knew that he died a hero, too. That he saved me. My leg miraculously healed. Don't get me wrong, I've got a nasty scar that will never let me forget what happened to it, but I can walk and feel everything, and that's all I care about. God only knows how, but Dice actually became a rear admiral. He's doing a good job...I guess. Ghost is still a big ball of raging anxiety, but he's doing good, last I heard. SuperFly finally retired. After loads and loads of psychological tests to make sure I wasn't crazy, they let me stay in the Navy. Don't get me wrong, I still have nightmares and bad days here and there, but I'm not gonna let that stop me from flying. I don't let it stop me. I even became a part of the Rhino Demo Team. Now, this is the life. I get to travel from state to state, airshow to airshow, showing people how amazing it is to be a pilot. I also received the Medal of Honor. Now, that was a cool experience. I'm a captain now, too. Yup, that's right. No more Lieutenant Junior Grade Binky. It's Captain Miles "Lazarus" Lennox now. Don't get me wrong, I love my current callsign, but every now and then, I miss Binky. After the airshow season ends, I go back to the carrier. I walk down the passageway, heading towards the ready room.

"Binky!" someone calls. My eyes narrow. No one's called me Binky in over fifteen years. Very few people even know about that callsign anymore. I twist around, my eyes narrowing into slits. My face softens slightly as a young pilot stands behind me. She can't be any older than twenty-five. I cock my head to the side.

"How do you know about that?" I ask. She smiles, and my eyes instantly widen. That smile. It brought everything back. I recognize her face, her long black hair, and those joyful eyes.

"Daiyu?"

I have to blink a couple thousand times before I come to the reality that it's actually her. She smiles as she takes a couple of steps towards me. She looks so much like her mother. The one that, yeah, betrayed me. I chuckle and shake my head.

"You grew up, Squirt."

She laughs, shakes her head, and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. Again, I have to blink a thousand times. She's actually here? I never thought I'd see this kid ever again. She pulls away and shakes her head.

"I honestly thought you were dead."

I scoff and shrug.

"Yeah...I have that effect on people."

She laughs.

"So...you did it! You actually became a pilot. I thought you would've joined the Chinese navy or something, but uh...this is a lot cooler."

She laughs again.

"You really inspired me, you know? I wanted to fight for the freedom I never got growing up."

Wow. I never realized how much of an impact I had on her. I thought she would've just forgotten about me.

"How's Cheung and...your mom?"

"Cheung told me to say hi when I found you again. He swore to us that you made it even when Mom finally told us..."

She hesitates. Her face hardens as she pulls her eyes towards the ground. "I'm sorry she turned you in."

I shrug.

"Eh. I forgave her a while ago."

She scoffs.

"Then you're a better person than me."

I want to laugh. Someone's got some mommy issues. I used to know the feeling. She'll get over it, though.

"So, what do they call you?"

Her face softened, that big smile returning to her face. She lifted her chin and puffed out her chest just like she used to when she was little.

"Rebel. Because...you know, I defected from—."

"Yeah, I got that," I say with a laugh. I shrug and scrunch my face.

"I think I like Squirt better."

She rolls her eyes. I turn and start back towards the ready room.

"Sir?" she calls out, "do you...still...um...have that necklace I gave you?"

I smile as I turn around and reach into my shirt, pulling it out.

"It's been my lucky charm ever since I put it on."

Joy overtakes her face. I nod down the hallway.

"C'mon. You got a very important mission coming up, Rebel."

She nods and walks by my side. If you would've told me when I was rotting in that Russian prison that this is where I'd be today. I would've cussed you out and hated you for mocking me. But the real reason I'm standing here today, alive and happy, is because I didn't let the fear win. Something else I learned along the way is that fear stands for two things. Flee everything and run. Or face everything and rise. Don't ever let something as simple and small as fear hold you back. Because doing it scared is better than never doing it at all.