The Razgriz Aces [Book 2]

Camaraderie

"Engagement marks the end of a whirlwind romance and the beginning of an eternal love story."

~Rajeev Ranjan

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Chopper

The flight to Osea Springs dragged out thanks to my buzzing anticipation to get home, and while my body threatened to spontaneously combust from it, Blaze sacked out the moment the plane leveled. I tried to distract myself by reading a new book I'd bought about the Belkan War, but I swear for every half hour I read, only five minutes passed in reality.

When we finally did land at Osea Springs, the plane landed with a big bump and Blaze awoke as she was bounced into the air, declaring groggily, "I didn't do it!"

"We just landed," I said, biting back a smile.

"Oh." Blaze yawned and stretched before resting her head on my shoulder again. "What time is it?"

"Uh, it's five twenty-five."

"How long is the ride to your house again?"

"About half an hour," I said. We pulled into the gate and hurried to baggage claim for our bags. Thankfully, it took no time for them to come off. As we situated ourselves with the bags, I heard an excited scream. I glanced up to see who it came from and barely had time to ready myself for the familiar figure flinging her arms around me.

"You're home!" Mom exclaimed tearfully, squeezing me so tightly that I could barely breathe. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

"You're kicking Yuke ass, right?" Melissa asked, cradling her five-month-old son Jackson.

"Of course I am. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here," I managed to reply while my mom continued to slowly restrict my airways. She must've heard me struggling because she released me. I turned to look for Blaze and found her enveloped in a bear hug by my dad.

"It's good to see you, Elizabeth," Dad said sincerely, pulling away and giving her a kind smile. "Al tells me you're a hell of a squad leader."

Blaze shot me a smile. "I think he might be slightly biased."

"Hey-" I began while hugging my dad- "you've gotten us all back from battle unscathed, and you've faced down the top brass and defended us. Trust me, you're a fantastic squad leader."

More hugs were exchanged, including a second one from my mom, before we set out on the road home. Blaze and I rode back with my mom while Melissa, Jackson, and my dad rode in the other truck. Mom interrogated the two of us about our relationship, asking how we finally ended up together, who knew, who didn't, how the Air Force was taking it, and more. By the time we arrived home, my cheeks were flaming from answering some of the questions, especially when my mom ripped into me for fighting with Blaze in the beginning. My girlfriend came to my defense a couple of times, or tried to, but mom would cut her off.

"I've got the bags. You go inside," I insisted, opening the trunk when we pulled up to my parent's house.

Mom didn't give Blaze a chance to argue, urging her into the house along with Melissa. I watched with an amused smile on my face, wondering if my mom would ever let us leave at the end of this. She'd always been hesitant to let me go into the military, not because she didn't love me serving my country, but because she worried if I'd ever make it home. Now that we were in an actual war, I'm sure that fear increased by tenfold.

"Let me help you with that," Dad offered, coming to stand by me. We pulled out the two bags and as Dad shut the trunk, he said, "I know that look, son."