My Sweet Valentine

PRESENT

Valentine remembered that evening. That beautiful evening when she promised herself to her beloved man. She left the notebook on the coffee table next to the couch and went into the room. In the closet she shared with her husband, there was a white box at the bottom. In it, she carefully stored the blue dress she had worn at graduation from Top Gun training. She ran her fingers over the delicate fabric.

"I think I could wear it." she said to herself. She wore a dress that hugged her figure so beautifully. She did not change a bit after the birth of their son Tomas, daughter Charlotte and twin boys Luke and Charlie. She put on the heels she had, tied her hair in a ponytail and headed for the ground floor of the house. She tried to go down the stairs as quietly as possible. Ron had his back to her flipping through some kind of magazine.

"Pilot." she called him. Ron turned around abruptly because she hadn't called him that in years.

"I can go to heaven now. Woman, you're going to kill me." he said walking up to her. He turned her in a circle to measure her.

"You like it?" she asked him curiously.

"Cinderella, you're beautiful. I love you."

"Do you know what today is?" he asked her as they lightly danced.

"I don't know. It's not our wedding anniversary."

"It's 36 years today since you first agreed to go to the cake shop with me. Then when Tom paid your and Charlie's bill." he explained to her.

"Oh, Ron. My Pilot. Remember that?"

"How could I forget?"

They kissed and Valentine went to change. She sat next to her husband on the couch. He hugged her and rested his lips on her forehead.

"You know, Maverick's coming back to Top Gun. He's going to train pilots. Tom called him." he said looking at the floor in front of him.

"Isn't that good? I guess Tom knows what he's doing. He always has. Why are you worried?"

"One of the pilots in the program is Bradley. Our Rooster. We talked last night and he told me he was called back for training. He doesn't know that Maverick is his instructor."

"Oh no. That's not going to go well. After what he did to him. He's been mad at him ever since he broke up with Lotty and then pulled his papers from Academy." Valentine listed and rubbed her face. She was really worried about Bradley.

"I know, honey."

"Do you think it's a good idea to tell Charlotte? Our daughter is in the same base as him. And they're friends."

"Honey," he said between kisses on her forehead, "Bradley and Mav have to sort things out on their own. And our kids can't interfere. It's hard enough for me to know that Charlotte, Luke, and Charlie are going through that training. You remember how I was. Tired and devastated, yet satisfied."

"I know, Ron. I just thought they'd have a friendly chat. Bradley can be impetuous, he could ruin this opportunity for himself."

"He's been through Top Gun once. Everything he does, he does for Goose."

"I know. Goose and Carole would be proud of him." she said and leaned back against her husband's chest. She always enjoyed the familiar feeling of Ron's hug. All the universe and all the oceans were in it. Protected from all evil.