UP IN THE CLOUDS

Memories

~ I can't be your friend, can't be your lover
Can't be the reason we hold back each other from falling in love. With somebody other than me~Memories by Conan Gray

2015.
Jake and Olivia were quite young during this time but they were going through flight school together, the two had met earlier on at a dinner where Jakes father introduced his son to Olivia's Grandfather Tom and when the two were forced to get to know each other they realized they got alone awfully well and decided to ditch the dinner and go to some local bar, where they got to know even more about the other. Olivia was quite skeptical at first about opening up to him, considering what she had gone through with those closest to her but Jake showed her he could be trusted and that he would never leave, even if they had in fact just met.

"Listen I know we barley know each other but I promise that'll change sooner or later because I really like you and I think we'd get along well, and I can't really say that about many." He gave her this toothy grin that she immediately grew to love.

"I've just gone through a lot and don't really like to speak about my problems. You're gonna have a tough time being my friend with how closed off I am" Jake chuckled and continued to smile at the girl in front of him, his arm resting on the counter of the bar as he laid his head on his hand.

"I'm down for the ride darling, that is if you'll have me?" Olivia was unsure at the start but something about him made her feel like he wasn't lying about forever.

"Okay." He scrunched his nose at the confusion and Olivia tilted her head as she too was confused. "What, did I say something wrong?" He shook his head and sat up straight.

"No I just thought you'd say no and then I'd have to let go of a potentially great friend." She smiles at him and Jake took notice a lot about her in just that one thing. How her eyes crinkled from all the force of her cheeks rising up and how her lips were a perfect rosy color, how her hair rested on her shoulder, her long brown hair. The rest of the night was spent drinking and talking about anything and everything, neither one was drunk but they opened up in ways that if they had told their past selves they wouldn't believe them.

2017
The two were now about 2 years into the Navy and their families couldn't be prouder. They had remained great friends and help each other through it all, especially on this day where a long time ago Olivia lost one of the people she loved most. Her mother. It would now be the 16 years since the sudden passing of her mother who she loved dearly and the Kazansky family had made it tradition to visit her grave and then celebrate by doing and eating all the things she loved, but that was when she was younger when she had no choice. Now she was older and her emotion's were more stronger than before and all she could feel was this anger building up inside her and it was so bad that she didn't even go to training and that didn't go unnoticed by Jake so when he didn't see her car at base he checked every spot in it and from there he drove to her home, when nobody answered the door he used the spare key Olivia had given him and opened the door. He ran through the house searching anywhere she could be and when he didn't see any sight of her he panicked, her home was a mess and it was dark as if she left it in a hurry at early morning. As he thought about it all, he looked at his phone getting ready to call her but as he saw his lock screen he read the date and it all clicked, he immediately ran to his car and drove to the place he knew she'd be at. Pulling up to the final place he check he saw her car parked on the street and even that didn't calm him down, he got out and checked inside to see if she was sitting there and when he saw she wasn't he went to the spot she could be, when he walked closer to it and saw her figure sitting on a bench looking out to the ocean on a hill he finally felt like he could breath. He walked closer to her and stood at the side of her as he saw tears spilling down her face and the sight broke him and he immediately sat down next to her and pulled her into his arm where she began to sob and all he could say was"Olivia." He heard her sobs against his chest and all he could do was hold her, no words could change anything or not yet at least.