Get Used To It

Chapter Seven: Code Pink!

The man wrapped me into a big bear hug. At first, I was confused, and completely freaked out; I had absolutely no idea who he was. I just thought he was a complete freak and I needed the get out of there.

Then the smell hit me.

The soft Axe smell filled my nasal quickly, and I breathed in the scent as if it were freshly fried bacon.

"H-Hunter?" I question as joyful tears fill my eyes.

"Soph!" He exclaims, wrapping his arms tighter around me. "Did ya miss me?" Hunter loosens his grip on me, backing away to take a look at my face. "You've grown so much, Soph!"

"Hunter?" I repeat. Chuckling, I wipe the tears from my face and fall into his arms once again. "Of course I missed you!" I finally back off and introduce Emma. "Emma? You remember Hunter, don't you?"

"Sort of. Hi, Hunter." She replies, confused.

"This is Kyle's best friend." I laugh.

Kyle.

Kyle is my brother. When I say brother, I mean by blood. I don't like to talk about Kyle much. He joined the Navy about four years ago, along with Hunter. I haven't seen either of them since their ship sailed off three years ago. Of course, I've missed both of them...a lot. Hunter treated me as a sister. He looks different; with his Navy buzz cut and he seemed more muscular.

Hunter and Kyle met in their high school ROTC class and instantly became best friends and planned on joining the Navy together.

"Of course! I remember you!" Emma exclaims, jumping me back to reality.

She shakes Hunter's hand respectfully.

I know it seems too soon, but I can't wait any longer. I lived perfectly fine without Kyle but seeing Hunter now makes me miss Kyle even more.

"So um." I start out nervously.

Hunter answers my question before I can even get it out. "Kyle is coming home, Soph. No need to worry". I relax my tight shoulders a little. "He should have been here last week when I got home, but there was technical difficulty at camp and then the airport screwed up his ticket. So he should be here any day now." He finishes and puts his arm around a woman's waist, who just walked up to him. She was holding a little girls hand.

Relief flooded my body, knowing Kyle was okay. I mean the last time we saw each other was when he walked out on our parents. I remember running out of the house following him. Our parents, mostly our mom, didn't want him to leave for the Navy at his age. On the other hand, I was proud of my big brother. He took summer classes so he could graduate early. He worked hard to follow his dream.

I remember Kyle picking me up and putting me back in the house so that I wouldn't follow him. I was clinging to him, crying, and not wanting him to leave me. He set me down gently and lightly kissed my forehead. He told me to stay strong and that he would call me every weekend. That next weekend I snuck out of the house and had my aunt take me to watch his ship leave. I stayed until I could no longer see the ship on the horizon.

When I got back home, I found out that my mom turned off his phone plan and I never got a call from him. That's when I realized what kind of person my mom was; a heartless bitch. Of course, I was in seventh grade at the time so I probably thought of her as a butt munch or something of the same meaning.

"This is my fiancé, Sara. Sara, this is Kyle's little sister, Sophie," Hunter introduces me to the beautiful woman and we shake hands. "And this is Sophie's friend, Emma." "And this," Hunter bends down and picks up the little girl "is my baby girl, Cindy."