The pieces of my puzzle.

Epilogue

(Maverick's POV)

I closed my eyes and breathed in the familiar air; the scent of jet fuel and sea air now so familiar it's become a part of me I don't think I'll ever lose.

"Grandpa!" Came a little voice accompanied by excited footsteps. I turned as 8 year old Evren stopped right in front of me, looking up at me with eyes so much like his mother's it reminded me of the days I used to take Azara to base and let her sit in the planes, watching her eyes light up with wonder.

"What did we say about running off, Evvy?" Penny scolded gently as she and (to my surprise) Azara's mother walked towards me, Evren's 3 year old sister, Nura Carole Bradshaw, propped on Penny's hip.

After Azara had made the decision to let her mother into her life, she and Penny had gotten closer, slowly building a friendship based upon the one person they both adore.

"Sorry Grandma." Evren apologized politely before looking back up to me. "Grandpa, in what planes are Mommy and Daddy?"

I crouched down to his level, a smile creeping onto my face. "Do you see those two planes landing now?" I pointed towards the airstrip.

"The F-18's?" He asked, glancing back at me as if to make sure.

I chuckled softly. "Yeah. That's them."

(Azara's POV)

"Getting slow, are we, Captain?" I lited as I climbed out of my jet, walking up to Bradly just as he got out of his.

"Mhh. Whatever helps you sleep at night. But for the record, I totally annihilated you in that race."

I playfully rolled my eyes but couldn't keep the smile from face as we walked towards the others.

"Still got some fuel left in ya, Admiral." Came my dad's teasing voice.

A tired laugh left my lips as I tilted my head. "Let's just say I didn't think to note that the desk job that comes with the whole Admiral thing would limit my flying so much."

He gave an understanding smile. "Yeah. That's not an easy transition to make." He chuckled. "Hence why I never let myself get ranked up above Captain."

The sun was beginning to set behind us, silhouetting us against the backdrop of pink and orange.

Bradly grabbed my hand and laced it with his, squeezing three times; a silent 'I love you.'

Penny glanced between the two of us and smiled knowingly, grabbing Evren's hand. "C'mon. Lets go watch the sunset from the control room."

When they were all out of earshot I turned to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and rested my forehead against his collarbone.

He exhaled heavily, as if letting go of the high of adrenaline that had been coursing through us in the air.

"You ok?" I whispered, tilting my head so my chin was resting just beneath his collarbone. I studied him; the planes of his face darkening in the fading light.

He looked down at me, contentment written all over his face, his mustache lifting slightly as his lips tugged into a smile. "Yeah, was just thinkin'."

"About?"

His eyes sparkled with warmth as he leaned closer. "About how weird life is. How just a few years ago I would've thought I'd be alone forever; never in my wildest dreams did I think I would end up here."

My gaze softened. "Well, then I'm glad life is weird."

"Yeah?"

I buried my face in his chest comfortably as he tightened his hold. "Yeah."

Just as we thought the moment couldn't get any better, two little bodies crashed into our legs falling into a fit of giggles.

As we stood there, against the backdrop of the sun setting behind the jets, the kids hugged our legs as Bradly swayed us gently, I thought to myself.....life really is weird.

Weird in a wonderful way, that I didn't even comprehend how everything added up along the way, through the years, just to get us here. Now.

Life is like a puzzle.

Only Its pieces are blank until you make them fit; they are intricate and of a certain number. They all look the same, but each one plays a crucial part and fills a space specific space.

A few years ago, just before I became instructor for the mission; that Azara's puzzle had been thrown on the ground and stomped on; every piece scattered and broken. And when I looked at the full picture, there wasn't one. Because there were so many gaps.

Oh if only that lost, broken woman knew; knew that every step she took. Every moment had. Every person she met. Every tear she shed. Would be a path she was led on; a path where, along the way, she came across a puzzle piece.

And every moment experienced, though sometimes painful, through conflict and anger and hurt; each one led to another piece. And each piece slowly started to close each and every gap.

The more pieces were found, the more the moments grew less painful. Eventually, the pieces start filling gaps in yourself you didn't even know were there or even knew could be repaired.

It's not a grand affair. Not one big moment where everything clicks; it's slow, gradual in the way we humans obliviously go about our day and hope for the best each time. It's in the way our circumstances change, but most of all, how we change in how we treat others, our situations, and ourselves.

Ultimately, when you look back, you realized that you picked up the pieces without thinking much about it and at a certain moments is when the big pieces clicked into place; reconnecting with Bradly, healing from the grief of losing Lukas, getting married, my dad meeting Evren; all these moments added up in the most beautiful way.

I have walked along that path, picked up the pieces, and never knew how much I've grown. I've overcome trails that felt impossible, I've met people that changed me, and I've gained a knowledge of myself I never knew I was meant to memorize.

I've come farther than I thought I would be forced to go and I still have a long way to travel. But through every single moment, I would not change a single thing that helped shape this life the old me never dared to dream for.

The puzzle was not yet complete, it wouldn't be until I had run out of the fuel that gave my life its spark. For now, I would keep going. Keep loving keep fighting, keep cherishing every moment I had.

I will run my race. Fly the skies into shambles for as long as this heart of mine continues to beat.

And I will never. Ever.
Take for granted

The pieces of my puzzle.