𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐎 | 𝘛𝘰𝘱 𝘎𝘶𝘯

008 | ᵀⁱᵐᵉ

CHAPTER EIGHT

Time

[₀₀₈]

song: Hold My Hand - 𝙇𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙂𝙖𝙜𝙖

⟵⌖⟶

"You can cry every last tear."

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 at the Cemetery parking lot, just before the ceremony began. Colette got out of her car, plucking lint from her classic black dress, when she noticed her father in his suit uniform, the one he wore for such occasions. He was speaking with some of the naval pilots on their way to the event, which was about to commence.

Colette got her father's attention and walked towards his outstretched arms, embracing him tightly. She had missed her father and needed him now more than ever. As she rested her head on her father's shoulder, she let a tear fall from her eye.

Colette broke the hug, straightening her father's hat and adjusting the crimple in his uniform. Henry grinned at his perfectionist daughter. "Just like your mother." He mumbled, then chuckled softly. "Well, mum and I both value a neat uniform." Colette responded clasping her father's hands.

"Yeah, that's something I'm glad you took from her, because otherwise, who would do my uniform checks for me?" Henry pondered as he approached the place of the event. "God, I wish he was still here, dad." Colette pointed to the sea of naval aviators in uniform.

Henry cocked his head slightly to peer into his daughter's eyes. "I know, honey, I wish he was still here, too." Henry replied, squeezing his daughter's hand as they approached the crowd of people opposite Sarah and her two sons.

Colette approached the woman, leaving her father to speak with Slider while she offered her support. Sarah grinned faintly as she hugged the woman tightly. With a teary-eyed smile, she took Colette's face in her hands. "You're family, Colette, and he's so proud of you, as are we." Sarah stated before the ceremony was started by an admiral.

Colette smiled at the woman before crossing the space to stand beside her father. As the gunshots rang out, she managed to blink a few stray tears away. She didn't spot Jake and Bradley standing by her coworkers, who were keeping a close check on her.

Maverick pounded Ice's wings into his coffin, hardly able to fight back his emotions. Maverick shook before saluting as four jets set off overhead in a missing man formation. Colette had seen various missing man formations in her life, but none had impacted her as much as it had right there. She watched as the sailors folded the American flag draped over the coffin and approached Sarah.

Cyclone passed the folded flag to Sarah, who clasped it gently in his hand. He saluted her before returning to the other admirals. Colette despised seeing someone receive the flag since it served as a continual reminder that they were no longer with them. A reminder of his absence. As the service came to a close, attendees proceeded to express their condolences to the Kazansky family.

Colette paused for a while longer, absorbing in the moment before moving closer to the group and migrating to where the wake was being held. She observed Maverick looking into space next to the photo of Iceman. Her heart ached at the sight of him, and the family Ice had left behind.

« ✵ » 

𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐍 over the seaside location, many holding bottles of liquor and reminiscing about the moments they had made with Ice. Colette had a simple glass of champagne in her hand, attempting to avoid the sombre conversations. She was hiding in a tiny garden area next to the water. The wind and sea air washed over her features, providing a short relief from everything else.