Los Angeles | 2009
Bradley's POV
Alex asked me as we sat pool side at my house. It was a quiet afternoon, the only sounds the gentle lapping of water against the tile and the soft rustle of pages turning. We were both reading the books we had recommended to each other. Alex was reading Dune, and I was reading The Handmaid's Tale.
"What do you guys have planned for your vacation?"
I marked my page. "Nothing much, really. There's a rocket launch Dad was invited to in Florida joint NASA, Navy and Air Force thing. Apart from that, we might go to the beaches and Disney World, because Erin was positively adamant about it."
"So it will be boring for you then?" she asked, her eyes analytical even over the top of her book.
"Not really. I can find some adventure for myself," I said, then leaned over and whispered close to her, "Besides, when I get bored, I have you to call and text."
Her cheeks tinted at that but a surreal smile formed on her lips. "So, you'll call and text only when you're bored huh?"
Damn. Walked right into that one. My smile faltered. "Well you know what I meant, be-besides its only when we miss each other can we truly be considered a couple, and that will only happen when I'm away and don't feel other things to be as interesting as you" I tried to jumble my words and make my way out of the pit I'd dug.
"Nice try, genius, but I'm not Haley," she said, but a true smile bloomed on her face. "Still, I appreciate the effort."
"I like this," I blurted out before thinking. She looked at me questioningly. "You know, the dynamic we have. We talk, we play, we do stuff. We've given a part of our lives to the other person, and I like how our shared life is evolving."
"Yeah, you're right. I like this too," she said thoughtfully. "Our shared interests, our ambitions... they match. I like telling you about my day every night, even if we don't spend it together."
"I like asking you how your day was and experiencing it through you", I stated. She stared at me her dark piercing eyes being lightened by the sun.
"Though if there is one thing", her expression turned serious. "It would be good if you shared a little more"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It's nothing, really," she said, her concern evident. "I just feel that you don't share as much of yourself with me as I do with you"
I pondered on that, had I not been completely open with her? Yes but there were somethings I couldn't really share with anyone.
"Like what?", I asked.
"I cant really put it into words Brad its more like a feeling a hunch I have that makes me feel like you don't share everything that can be shared with me. Like—like that day when you lost your match and we chatted, you told me about how and why you lost but not all about how you felt and what went on inside your head then?", she paused thinking on her next words.
"It felt as if you were not completely open with me, and its okay with me if you don't wish to share certain things, I get it we have gone from being best friends to a couple in less than a year but I don't know I just-I just felt bad that you didn't", her words left hanging from her face.
I felt guilt well up within me, had I neglected her somehow, I just wanted us to not have any problems between us. "I'm sorry Alex, I didn't know…", I said before she interrupted me.
"No no I don't want you to apologise Brad I-I just felt lost when times like these emerge but then your actions give me confidence that I may be overthinking things. Like when you asked me to come with you when you went to apologise to Caleb, in that moment I felt relieved that you had faith in me to share your burdens. I liked that", she said a little hurriedly to prevent misunderstandings.
She looked down, fussing with the corner of her book. "I shouldn't have opened my mouth. I ruined a perfectly good afternoon."
"No, absolutely not," I said firmly. "I want us to talk about stuff like this. Your concerns matter to me, Alex." I took a breath, deciding to give her the honesty she deserved. "I confess... I didn't share as much as I should have that day. I just... I felt inept and incompetent. And I didn't want you to think less of me, so I hid that side of myself."
"Oh, Brad, I would never think little of you for losing," she said, her hand instinctively clutching mine. "I know you. You get back up, harder, every time you fall. I had all the faith that you would come back stronger and win. And you did."
A smile bloomed on my face at that gesture, "I know right I'm the best", I said sporting a cheeky smile.
"Shut up, that smile is too much," she said, laughing as she shoved my hand away in a mock manner.
"Is that so?", I moved closer to her, "Is this too much as well then?", I kissed her cheek. Her face went red as if it had been burnt in the sun. Then as if she remembered something she looked back at me and stood up leaned in and kissed my cheek.
"Is it too much for you?", she countered. Now it was my turn to feel emotionally haywire but above all things, "I liked that"
Her face went still as she looked at me, 'oops said it out loud'.
She looked down shyly and whispered, "I like it too", my circuits were frying now. My body moved on instinct as I kissed her on the cheek again, a part of me wanted to kiss her outright but I was holding on for a special moment to do that.
This time she returned the gesture almost immediately and to not let the situation escalate further I took a step back and she understood the signal as well, we couldn't be hasty. Yet the smiles on both are faces were still plastered on.
"I like you Brad very much", she confessed.
"I like you too Lexi", my eyes widened when I realised what I'd said. My expression was mirrored on her face too.
"Did you just call me Lexi?", she asked.
My face was bursting with embarrassment, "Ye—yeah it's a nickname I had for you", I looked at her intently, "You don't like it?"
"Do you like calling me that", she asked intently as well.
"I do", I said unreservedly.
She smiled, "Then that's all that matters to me"
My face should have hurt from smiling so much, but the smile just kept getting bigger and bigger.
We returned to our seats by the pool, the charged energy from our kisses settling into a warm, comfortable silence. We spent the rest of the afternoon under the sun, reading our books and occasionally sharing passages that we found particularly brilliant.
"Okay, the political maneuvering between the Great Houses in Dune is genius," Alex said, her eyes wide with intellectual excitement. "It's like a galactic-scale chess game. I can see why you love it."
"And The Handmaid's Tale is terrifying," I countered, looking up from the stark, red cover. "The world-building is so subtle and insidious. It's brilliant, but bleak."
"The best stories usually are," she said with a thoughtful smile.
The hours washed away like that, in a sun-drenched haze of easy conversation and shared quiet. Eventually, the sun began to dip lower in the sky, and Alex sighed, marking her page. "I should go," she said, packing up her things. "I have to get over to my Grandpa's place for dinner."
I walked her to the front gate. She turned to me, her expression soft. "Have a safe journey, Brad," she said, then surprised me by stepping forward and giving me a quick, warm hug. "Text me when you land, okay?"
"I promise," I said, my voice a little thick.
She gave my hand one last squeeze and then headed across the street. I watched her go before going back into my house to pack up and get ready to leave. I found Mom in the kitchen, organizing a travel bag.
"Dad's not back yet?" I asked.
"About that, honey," she said, turning to me. "Your father got held up with some urgent business at the base. He's going to take a later flight and meet us tomorrow morning. It will be just the three of us leaving today."
"Oh," I said, a little surprised but not shocked. In my dad's world, missions always came first. "Okay."
I headed up to my room to pack my own bag, my mind already shifting from the quiet of the afternoon to the logistics of the trip ahead, with the promise of a single text message to look forward to.
…
The airport was a chaos of echoing announcements, rolling suitcases, and the faint, clean smell of floor cleaners. We moved through the terminal as bees to honey, getting our clearances and making our way toward the gate, ready to board our flight to Florida.
Just as we were rounding a corner, we heard a familiar voice call out to us. "Maggie? Is that you?"
Mom turned around, her face breaking into a wide, surprised smile. I followed her gaze and saw him. It was Lieutenant Colonel Brad Gregory, my dad's second-in-command. He was a middle-aged man, the same as my dad, with greying hair that showed signs of balding at the temples. He wore square-rimmed specs, and below them was a buff mustache that always seemed to be perfectly trimmed. He was a little thinner but tall, around six feet, and his dark brown eyes were full of warmth.
"Uncle Greg!" Erin and I called out in unison. Yeah we called him that to avoid any misunderstandings with my own name.
His professional military bearing dissolved instantly. He dropped his bags right there in the middle of the terminal, a wide grin spreading across his face, and opened his arms. "Oh, children, I have missed you so much!"
We both ran into his embrace, a big, warm hug that felt like a piece of our old life in Washington D.C. had just reappeared. He then stood up and hugged mom as well.
After the hug, Mom stepped back, her face a picture of surprised delight. "Brad, what on earth are you doing in Los Angeles?" she asked. "We thought you were still in D.C.!"
Uncle Greg chuckled, a warm, familiar sound. "I got transferred back under Mark," he explained. "I arrived just yesterday. The plan was to surprise you all in Florida, but when I saw the three of you standing here at the airport, I couldn't bear to wait any longer."
"So you're coming with us?" I asked, the excitement clear in my voice.
"Are you on the same flight?" Erin added, her eyes wide.
"I am," Uncle Greg told us, his smile genuine. "We'll be going together." He then turned to Mom, noticing the carry-on bags she was juggling. "Here, Maggie, let me get those."
He helped Mom carry the bags as we all made our way through the bustling terminal to our gate and boarded the flight. Having Uncle Greg with us, a welcome and familiar piece of our old life, felt like a good omen for the trip ahead.
I looked out the window at the endless expanse of clouds below, a brilliant white sea under a perfect blue sky. We were on our way.
I leaned back in my aisle seat, a feeling of pure, uncomplicated excitement bubbling up inside me. "Man, if this is how the vacation is starting, I don't know how awesome it's going to be once we get to Florida," I said, turning to look over my shoulder at the seat behind me.
"Oh, mini me, you have no idea what all awaits you guys in Florida," Uncle Greg said, a wide grin splitting his face as he patted my shoulder. I was pumped now for this vacation, already speculating the things we would be doing.
"Uncle Greg, did you bring me candy?" Erin piped up from the seat next to me, her voice full of demand as she extended her hand back to him.
"Sure I did, Erin," he chuckled. "You know I always have some for you." He rummaged in his pockets and took out a packet of M&Ms, handing them to Erin over the seat.
"Oooh, M&Ms! Thanks, Uncle Greg!" she said joyfully, immediately starting to tear at the wrapper.
Uncle Greg looked at Mom apologetically. "I hope it's not a problem, Maggie."
Mom looked up from her magazine, and a slow, evil smile spread across her face. "Oh, not at all, Brad. When she has a sugar rush in about twenty minutes, you'll be the one taking care of her," she said, her smile widening. "Won't you?"
Uncle Greg and I exchanged a look of shared, comical terror and gulped in unison.
"Of—of course, Maggie," he stammered.
The flight was going to be long, but it would be especially so for Uncle Greg.