Top Gun: Phantom

Chapter 9

1 June 2024

      "It's been a while since I've seen you wear that!" Penny stated as she walked out of inventory.

        "Rooster asked me to wear it." I smiled.

      "I heard you two had made up." she winked, "How are you feeling?"

       "Amazing, I've never felt happier. I missed him. I needed him." She rubbed my arms lovingly.

      "That's great." She smiled, "I have to go back to work. But, someone is waiting for you at the bar." She nodded her head toward Rooster. I smiled at her and walked toward him.

      "What can I get you?"

       "A beer would be nice, Phantom." He smirked. I knew he felt the same way I did, happy that our other half was back.

      "Coming right up, Rooster."

     I handed him his beer while I took a sip of mine, "Don't you think It's crazy that the call signs we had since we were kids stuck."

      He laughed, "Yeah, I remember Ice was the one that came up with mine. He said it suited me since I reminded him so much of my dad."

     "Ice gave me mine too. He said I always disappeared like a Phantom and popped up out of nowhere scaring him."

     "That's because you did disappear. You were always so quiet and able to sneak around. You always won at hide and sneak." His eyes lit up from the memory, " I swear you cheated."

      "How could an egocentric six-year-old cheat? Your lucky if they actually hide without you seeing their feet or something." I nudged him laughing.

      "You always seem to amaze me with your knowledge." He smiled, looked down, and reached out for the necklace, "That's the necklace I gave you before our senior prom. I didn't know that you kept it after everything."

      "It gave me hope." I smiled at him.

     "I'm so sorry for forgetting you. For not being there. I'm just sorry for everything." I reached up and put my hand on his cheek, he leaned into my touch.

      "Do you remember when we first met?" He asked, taking my hand on his cheek into his hand.

     "Yeah, I was six and you were eight. We were at Ice's house." I laughed, "That was the night when he started telling everyone that we were gonna be married by the time you were twenty and I was eighteen."

     Rooster grinned, "Man, it's hard to believe it's been 30 years since then. It feels like it happened yesterday."

     "Can you believe we're almost 40?" Rooster groaned.

      "Man we're getting old."

      We watched as several naval officers came in, many of them we didn't recognize.

     "My dad will be 62 in August. I wish you could've met him, He would've loved you." He smiled, squeezing my hand.

      "He would be so proud of you Bradley, and so would Carole."

       "I hope you know your mother is proud of you." I laughed at his statement, getting up and getting him another beer.

      "What? She would be so proud of you."

     "You may have seen me crying at her grave, but that doesn't mean she would be proud of me." I laughed.

      "What do you mean?"