𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙁𝙄𝙑𝙀
—𝘨𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦—

𝘽𝙍𝙔𝘾𝙀 𝙎𝙈𝙄𝙇𝙀𝙎 𝘼𝙏 the man across from her, watching as he spreads a plaid blanket out on the ground. The brunette held the picnic basket, sitting down after Danny is finished. She then proceeds to unpack everything in the basket, raising her eyebrows as she comes across a bag of potato crisps.

"There is loads of sodium in these things," she comments, before continuing on. "Are you trying to make my cholesterol skyrocket?"

"Of course not," he blushes as he sits down beside her. "Do you not eat them?"

"Personally, I don't worry about what I eat," Bryce laughs, nudinging him in the side. "I was just teasing— and I wanted to see how you'd react. I have chips all the time."

"That's a relief," Danny lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Most of the nurses tend to stay on diets for a while, so I wasn't too sure."

"I like to stray from the normal things," the woman shrugs, taking the lid off of a container that held the chicken salad croissants. "And instead of going on diets, I go for jogs in the morning. That way, I can still watch my weight without having to give up all the sweets that Evelyn makes."

"Evelyn has never made me anything," his country accent seeps through his teeth, Bryce's heart skipping a quick beat. "Rafe is the one that she gives all the cookies to, and now I'm offended."

"Maybe if you asked her, she would," Bryce suggests. "You never know if you don't take a chance, right?"

"Would you be interested in making me some cookies?" Danny raises an eyebrow. "I would be honored to try them."

"Aren't you just a joker," she rolls her eyes, giving his shoulder a light shove. "But, since you asked, I would love to bake you some cookies. I must warn you, though; things like that don't always come out golden with me. I've never really been too good at baking sweets."

"I'm sure," he pauses, placing his hand on hers to get her to look into his eyes, "that they'll be just as perfect as you are."

---

Nearly an hour later, the two stroll the sidewalk of the park, trading jokes and teases that had been said to them one time or another. And eventually, it had turned into a conversation about their favorite things to do, and favorites in general. That's when the two of them found that they had more in common than it seemed.

"My father was always a hard shell to crack," Danny says, enjoying the feeling of her hand within his. "Of course Rafe and I were never too easy to handle, and he had been through years of the airforce. That's where I knew I had to come in."

"So you followed in your father's footsteps?" Bryce asks, ignoring the soft clicking of her heels against the pavement below their feet. "With flying?"

"I always knew I'd become a pilot," he tells her. "My constant interest for his planes was always there, and I snuck out to watch him pretty often. There was something about the way he could soar through the sky, without a care in the world . . . "

There was a faraway look in Danny's eyes as he looked to the sky, and Bryce couldn't help but smile. He got caught up in his own words and memories, and she found it absolutely adorable. She wouldn't tell him that, though. Instead, she chuckles, and pulls him along.

"When did you start training?" She asks.

"Right out of high school," Danny replies. "Rafe and I stuck together through it all, and we both decided that flight would be no difference. I'm just glad I had someone there for me the whole way through, you know?"

Bryce wished that she felt the same way he did— that she had someone there for her when she looked back. But she didn't; Bryce had independence, and was taught to take things on her own. And so she did, up until meeting Evelyn and Candice when enrolling to nursing school.

"How about you?" Danny goes on, running his thumb softly over the back of her hand, feeling the grooves of her knuckles. "When did you decide to be a nurse?"

"My family has been in the medical field for years," she states simply. "I was raised to do— to be successful."

"Doesn't seem as easy as it sounds."

"It's not," Bryce shrugs, glancing at the ground. "Sometimes I wish it could've been different, that I could've had someone. But other times, I'm glad that it happened, and that I'm here today because of it. Who knows where it be, otherwise."

Bryce pauses, turning to face Danny. She places her hands on his shoulders, trailing them up to the apples of his cheeks, "And maybe I wouldn't have met you."

Danny leaned into her touch, his hands moving to cover hers‒ to keep her there, in that perfect moment. And he knew, that even though he hadn't known her long, that he wasn't about to let her go.

---

Bryce finds comfort in the softness of her bed, cradled underneath the plush of her red sheets. Candice and Evelyn perch themselves at the edge of her bed, waiting for Bryce to explain her date with Danny. It was the talk of the house while she was gone, and it would undeniably stay that way.

"Last night," Candice begins with a smile, "tell us about your date with Danny."

"It was perfect," Bryce says without hesitance, her eyes finding the white popcorn ceiling. "He is perfect. And we're going back out again soon."

"The second date is already in motion?" Evelyn raises an eyebrow. "I'm so proud of you, Bryce. Being selfish for once— that's healthy."

"I just hope it stays that way," Bryce continues, rubbing at her eyes. "Not very many things turn out right for me, but this is the one thing I hope stays the same."

"You deserve to be happy," the blonde says, opening the bathroom door to touch up her lipstick. "Now get up, darling, we get assigned to our positions today."

"Wear a pantsuit," Evelyn advises Bryce as she steps over to her closet. "All of the girls are since we only have introductions. You get the lay-down and basics today, then get started tomorrow."

"Do you think we'll get assigned together?"

Bryce rummages through her wardrobe, wanting to find the perfect color. Perhaps red would suit her— but Candice had told her once before that red on red wasn't the best way to go. Instead, she pulled out a black pantsuit, smiling to herself as the women in the room give her an approving smile.

"Do you want my lipstick?" Candice asks, holding up the small golden tube. "It would look perfect with the black pantsuit and my red pumps."

The brunette hesitated, debating on whether or not she should wear pumps. But since today would be a big day, and she wasn't sure where she would be working in the future, she nodded along. Bryce was going to regret wearing heels, but Candice was so excited to bring them out that it was going to be worth it.

Bryce stripped down, allowing Evelyn to get her curling iron ready and Candice to get her shoes. She pulled on the pantsuit, layering on her top, and then the square-shouldered jacket. It wasn't long until Bryce's hair was finished, bundled up in a bun at the right side of her head. If she was being honest, Bryce thought she resembled Evelyn.

Candice was running a brush through the tube of mascara one last time, just as Rose entered the room with a grin etched onto her bright pink lips. Bryce looked to her expectantly, Candice stopping her previous actions.

"Someone is here to see you," Rose pauses, a small giggle escaping her lips, "and it just so happens to be Danny."

Evelyn looks up from the vase of Bryce's red roses, before her attention turns to Bryce. The brunette frantically looks to Candice, as if asking if she looked okay. Thankfully, Candice easily caught on.

"You could wear a potato sack, and that man would still stare at you while you looked away," Candice rolls her eyes. "Bryce, you look beautiful. Now stand your little butt up, and get down there to see your man."

Bryce doesn't think too hard as she follows Rose down the stairs. Sure enough, Danny stood in the doorway, his hands shoved into his pockets like usual. But as his gaze landed on Bryce, he no longer looked awkward or unsure; a smile appeared on his face as he took in her appearance.

"Danny, what are you doing here?" Bryce asks him, stopping at the bottom of the staircase. It was clear that the other women were beginning to file in, but the two ignored them.

"You look amazing," he begins, his dimples showing as he smiles, "and I'd like to take you to work, if that's okay. An escort— if you may."

Bryce chuckles at the blush on his cheeks, watching as he extends his hand. She gives him a smile of her own, before placing her hand in his.

"I'd love that, Danny."

_______