𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫 | 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐲 "𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫" 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐰 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞

5: the last day with you

flashback
two and a half years earlier
san diego, california

bradley bradshaw sat next to me in his pickup truck in front of my house with the for sale sign planted in the yard. i could feel the tears coming on as the air conditioning blared endlessly through the late summer night air.

"bradley," i said, tears beginning to flow, "please don't go."

"the air force isn't giving me a choice," he said, "it's baltimore or a termination letter."

"that's bullshit," i said.

"come with me," he said.

"you know i can't do that," i replied.

"we could be happy there together," he replied, "just you and me."

"bradley-" i began.

"if asking you to marry me is what i need to do-" he began.

"we're 22!" i replied.

"and? plenty of people get married young," he answered, "i love you. i want to be with you and not in a long distance thing. not trapping you when you're already trapped."

"you know i would go with you," i said, "but maverick needs me."

"he's got penny," bradley replied, "they've been friends for years through your mom."

"mom wouldn't have wanted him to be alone like this right now," i countered, "even if penny is around it's not enough."

"(y/n), he'll be fine," he argued, "you're 22, maybe it's time to live your own life."

"i agree with you, and i'd say yes if my mom was still here," i agreed, "but she's not. my dad is drowning in grief as am i as is everyone who knew her."

"then get away from it, come with me," he said, "please."

i began to sob and he did too, "rooster...please don't do this to me. i can't lose you too."

"you won't if you come with me," he cried hoping for a different answer from me i'm sure.

"i can't change my answer," i cried and he held onto me tightly as we both sobbed.

"i know," he practically whispered as our tears flowed together. "i'm gonna love you forever, you know that right?"

"yeah," i lost it and began shaking as i cried.

mom had been gone for a month now down to the day. bradley bradshaw, my boyfriend of 3 years, best friend, and top gun classmate, had broken the news to me tonight that he had to leave for baltimore in three days by order of the air force. he was considering asking me to marry him to get me to go with him to baltimore. but i couldn't leave my dad after my mom had just died like that.

and i didn't want to marry bradley bradshaw as a way out of my grief and out of the sad shell that san diego was becoming for all of us.

"hangman, bob, and avalanche will all be there with you," i reminded him, "you won't be alone. and maybe, since i can't go with you, it's time we take a break."

i couldn't believe i was actually saying those words to this man who i believe through and through was my soulmate. my mom had sat down with me during my top gun days after one silly dinner when bradley and i first started dating and had told me she thought he was my soulmate. after one stupid dinner! she was right though. it would've broken her heart if she'd known we were breaking up over this.

"don't say that," he sniffled, "please don't."

"i don't know what else we can do," i cried, "i love you but i can't hold you back like this. and long distance is going to hurt both of us."

"i know, i know, but i can't lose you," he said, "i'm so ridiculously in love with you (y/n) mitchell."

"and i'm so ridiculously in love with you bradley bradshaw," i replied, "but we can't do this to one another. it isn't fair."

"if this is what you want, i'll do it," he said after a moment.

"i think it's best," i said, tears flowing down my cheeks, my mascara likely ruined now.

"then okay," he said, "i love you but this is it."

"this is it," i echoed, our tears still flowing rapidly.

"please don't forget me," he said.

"how could i?" i asked softly.

the tears continued until we kissed goodbye and i watched him drive away from my bedroom window. i cried for days and eventually picked myself up again. we moved up to santa barbara for a while to a quiet beach community. maverick worked at a base there and i mourned my mom and rooster until i healed. and even then, i still saw that beautiful face of his smiling at me in my dreams and in old photographs.