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Tomorrow, Laura Lee will fly.
She is resolute in her decision. This is her purpose, to fly the Cessna and to save her friends. She is nervous, but she refuses to think of failure. God wouldn't provide her with so many signs if He didn't want her to follow this path.
Her determination does not lessen the fact that her heart aches with the thought of leaving. She does not want to leave any of her friends, to take her eyes off them and look to the skies while they were left in the Wilderness, hoping that she would succeed. Mostly, though, she does not want to leave Lottie. If she could, Laura Lee would bring Lottie with her, so that whatever happens would be faced together. She can't, though - it'd be too risky to have both of them in the Cessna. Besides, the Yellowjackets would need their prophet in the coming days. Lottie would help them survive until Laura Lee returned with rescue - they would act in tandem, two twin flames burning in unison, even when they're miles apart.
Laura Lee hates leaving Lottie to shoulder the weight of survival, no matter how necessary it is. She hates leaving Lottie at all. She wants to stay at Lottie's side, for as long as possible.
So its bittersweet to take Lottie by the hand, to ask her on a walk in the woods by twilight. Lottie agrees readily, eagerly, even. They walk through the ancient pines in comfortable silence, until they come upon a small clearing, grassy and bathed in the rosy tones of the sunset. Laura Lee sighs so sweetly, leans her head against Lottie's shoulder.
"The sky's so beautiful tonight," she says.
"Maybe it's for you," Lottie replies. "Since you're going to fly the Cessna tomorrow, I mean. The Wilderness is displaying all its beauty for a wonderful send off."
Laura Lee's face flushes and she squeezes Lottie's hand so tightly, trying to press all the love she felt into that single gesture.
"Are you nervous?" Lottie asks gently.
Laura Lee shrugs. "How can I not be? Still, I have faith in His plan. I have faith in this team and our will to survive, as well."
Lottie nods. Looks up at the sky - it casts a purple sheen across her face, it turns her all ethereal. "I'm worried. I try not to be, but I haven't... I haven't seen how this will turn out. I don't know how this will turn out. I wish I did know. I wish I could tell you."
"I know," Laura Lee says. She reaches up to gently brush a strand of dark hair out of Lottie's face. "But not even prophets can see everything, and besides - just knowing that you're here with me, knowing that you love me, I value that more than any vision of the future."
