"There is nothing in the world I'd rather be doing right now," I comment, walking down the stairs. Hannah and I are hanging out in her basement, laughing and watching old movies. I had gone upstairs to refill the popcorn, and now I've returned with a full bowl in my hands.
I set the bowl of popcorn on the end table next to her. Hannah has taken over my chair, so I pick her up, sitting down with her on my lap. She curls up against me, and I wrap my arms around her. "Really?" Hannah teases, "What about exploring an awesome new planet?" Hannah eats a piece of popcorn, looking up at me with that adorable look that I fell in love with.
"Been there, done that." I reply with a wink. "Wouldn't do it again unless you were right there with me." Hannah picks up another popcorn, feeding it to me since my hands are occupied. Then she kisses my lips softly before laying against my chest.
This time last year I was a commander on the spaceship The Revenant. I was a high ranking soldier in the Earth Defence Force, meaning I was never able to be home with my Hannah as much as I wished I could be. A few months ago I applied for leave, hoping to have a few weeks with my babygirl. I didn't get as much time as I wanted to, but I don't even care - I'm just glad I'm able to be here with her.
The two of us are a perfect match - she's the peanut butter to my jelly. Hannah is short, with long black hair and the biggest brown eyes you've ever seen. She is my better half, always bubbly and excited when I'm around - no matter what's wrong, I always know that spending time with Hannah can make me feel better. I love the effect she has on me, it's like the two of us are on our own little world, and nothing could ever touch us.
I don't know what I ever did to deserve a girl like her, but I know that I would be lost without her. I missed Hannah so much while I was with the military...She was the first thing I thought about when I awoke, and the last thing I thought about as I went to sleep, and knowing that she felt the same way while I was gone makes me smile. I'm going to spend the next week and a half with her, making up for all of our missed time.
I chuckle softly, and Hannah looks up at me. "What's so funny?" She asks.
I smile down at her, "I'm just happy to be holding you in my arms again." I reply, leaning down to kiss her forehead. She blushes and I smile down at her. "I really missed you while I was away," I add quietly.
"Good, because I missed you more than anything," Hannah replies, squeezing her arms around my waist. I pull her closer, leaning forwards to kiss her neck, and she sighs softly as I do.
"Wait, I almost forgot." I reach into my pocket, pulling out a small baby blue handkerchief and handing it to Hannah. Inside is a small present I got for her while I was stationed on Mars. "I uh...didn't have time to wrap it," I add sheepishly
She slowly unfolds it, revealing a small gemstone about the size of her thumb. It's nearly clear, but has a slight pink color to it. As the dim basement lights hits the smooth surface, the little gem starts to glow a bright pink. "On mars they call it "Morning Love," because it glows brightest first thing in the morning." I explain as she holds the stone in her hand. "They're so rare and beautiful...so of course I immediately thought about you,"
I know a guy, and I was able to have a small hole drilled in the top so Hannah could wear it as a necklace. I didn't get the necklace part done yet, but I was just so excited to show her that I couldn't wait. "It's so beautiful," Hannah says quietly, flipping it over in her hand. She slowly rubs her thumb over the smooth surface before looking back up at me. "You're the best, Mason," She adds, kissing my lips softly.
I kiss her back, happy that she loves the gemstone. It wasn't easy to find, but I was determined to get one for her, and now I'm glad I went through all of the extra trouble.
She leans over and gently puts the Morning Love stone on the end table beside the popcorn before curling back up against me. "But...I didn't get you anything," She says with a frown, looking up at me with a guilty look on her face.
I move my hand up to her face, holding her cheek in my hand and slowly tracing my thumb over her cheekbone before leaning in towards her. I kiss her lips softly. "Baby, just being here with you is the best gift I could ever have,"
Hannah blushes as I say that, resting her head against my chest again. "I love you so much Mason," She says, wrapping her arms around me. I hug her back, lying my head gently on top of hers. The two of us fit together like two perfect puzzle pieces. Nothing could possibly ruin this moment.
"I wish you didn't have to go back so soon." Hannah says as we hug. I agree - there would be nothing better than staying here with Hannah. If I could wake up to her beautiful face every morning, I would be the happiest man alive.
"I know...but I have to, baby," I say, kissing her forehead softly.
Just then I hear a knock at the door. Hannah gets up and I follow her up the stairs. As she opens the door, I stand behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. There's two men standing at the door, both of them wearing black suits with the Earth Defence Force insignia pinned over the chest. This could only mean one thing.
"Are you Captain Mason West?" One of the men asks in a formal tone.
"Yes sir," I reply. As I do, Hannah leans back against me, putting her hands over mine as I hug her from behind. She can tell what's going to happen next.
"Colonel Sanders regrets having to cut your leave time in half, but we need you to come in immediately." The man says. "Something's coming...something big. The president has declared the situation DEFCON One, and we are calling in all active soldiers. We will give you a few moments to say goodbye." At that, the two men turn away, walking towards a waiting black SUV in the driveway.
"I understand." I kiss the top of Hannah's head as they walk away. As much as I would love to stay here forever with the love of my life, I have to go. Right now, my planet needs me.
