𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙀
—𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴—

     𝙏𝙊 𝙎𝘼𝙔 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏 Bryce had cried would be the understatement of the century; hearing that Evelyn had lost the love of her life broke the woman's heart and made her imagine how her life would so easily fall apart if she were in the same situation. Maybe she wouldn't talk to anyone for a few months— and maybe she wouldn't talk again. And maybe, just maybe, she'd vow to never love again. And with the way Evelyn was handling the situation, she suspected that the raven-haired woman might actually be debating that. But Bryce didn't blame her; who could?

It was an hour later than from the time Danny had visited the two women in uniform, and the three of them were now outside of the nurse house, perched on the edge of a beautifully sculpted marble fountain. But the moonlit view, nor the breathtaking pattern of the fountain could shake any of them from their daze. They each sat next to Danny, and Bryce's head rested on his shoulder as she wiped away her tears. Evelyn hadn't said a word yet, only listening to the words that fell from Danny's lips when he told them what had happened.

Rafe had been fighting with the air force in England, and his plane had been shot. A fire had erupted, and the man attempted to bail out— but before he could, he had crash-landed into the ocean below. Only a few of his fellow pilots had made it back, and reported their losses to the general, who had then contacted Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle. The news was then passed down to Danny, who took on the task of telling Evelyn; which was most certainly harder than he originally expected.

So here they sat, not one of them murmuring underneath the night sky. It was too dark for them to say anything— and it wasn't because of the black sky, but because of the darkness that had consumed their hearts for the time being. What could they say? But Danny finally found his words, and spoke clearly when he did so.

"He loved you, you know," his coarse voice says, his eyes finding Evelyn. "You were all he ever talked about when we were out— I can't tell you how many times he retold me the way the two of you met."

"Two months ago, when I was checking records at the hospital," Evelyn sniffles, chuckling as she wipes away a few of her tears with the back of her hand. "You were there, too, and tried to help him cheat on the eye exam. I covered for him, and he tried to woe me with whine after my shift ended."

"He bragged to everyone about your date that week," Danny continues. "Didn't shut up about how amazing you were. I was always so jealous of his ability to win you over so easily—" he pauses for a short moment, his fingers intertwining with Bryce's; a small gesture that hinted that he had, in fact, found the same thing in Bryce that Rafe had found in Evelyn. "I'm sorry you didn't get to see him before he left."

"Rafe didn't want me to go," Evelyn says, shaking her head. "And I almost didn't— but I couldn't imagine letting him go without one last goodbye, even though he had instructed it. I couldn't do it, but I got there too late."

The woman chokes on her own tears, clutching her palm over her mouth as she wrenches out a sob. She lays her head on Danny's shoulder, hugging her arms to her chest. It was silence for a few more moments, Bryce shifting in her spot as she crumbles up the tear-stained tissue in one hand, while squeezing Danny's quivering hand with her other.

But this time, it wasn't Danny that broke the quiet streak— it was Evelyn. Her eyes stared to a far-off place as her lips moved ever so slightly. "But what an amazing night we had together before he told me he volunteered," she sighs, closing her eyes. "He was afraid he was going to ruin things by telling me."

"Wait, he volunteered?" Danny is pulled from his quiet trance. "He didn't tell me that— just like him, though. Always trying to protect me."

As Bryce looks into his hurting eyes, she wished with all her might that she could take his pain away. That she could somehow bring Rafe back so that the two most important people in her life could smile once again and not have tear stains on their blushed cheeks.

Oh, how she wished. But, unfortunately, wishes don't come true.

For now, at least.

---

Bryce sighs to herself as she glances over the stack of unfinished paperwork on her office desk, before laying her head down. There was much to do today, including the ceremony Evelyn and Danny insisted on having for Rafe. It would take place at a drinking parlor that most of the sailors and pilots took a liking to. And then, they would share a toast in his memory, and all disperse— pretending as though it was a proper funeral for the person they cared so much about.

Bryce knew it wouldn't be enough for Evelyn. Late into the night, she could hear the woman's sobs from where she attempted to sleep and understood the reason for her grief. And still, she would find the raven-haired woman writing letters on the balcony, as if Rafe were still replying from a world away. It must've been hard to take. For now, she'd have to focus on her work, though. Commander Carter was watching her closely, along with Candice— they were women, and very underestimated on the job. She would have to prove something to him.

"Need a break?" The commander steps into her office, his knuckles tapping against the open door. "I could get one of my kernels to take over for you if you aren't feeling up to the job."

"What a pretentious man you are," Bryce shakes her head, standing from her seat. "Sorry Commander, I think I can handle a little paperwork. You should probably be checking up on the trainees, don't you think?"

"I train soldiers, Ms. Dylan," he clears his throat, taken aback by her suggestion. "I'd take joy to hear that you're not implying I have an easy task. Lots of military training takes place in order to toughen up for the position I'm in—"

"And what position are you in exactly, Carter?" She raises an eyebrow, folding her arms over her chest. "Certainly not one that gives you the right to be misogynistic. I do hope you understand that just as well as the pilots do. Respect must be given in order to be received, Commander. Merely days ago you were kind to me . . . what changed your viewpoint of my status?"

"Just keeping you on your toes, Lieutenant Dylan," the man winks. "No gender judgement here. Let me know if you need any help with the paperwork, I can get you an assistant with the snap of my fingers."

Bryce hums, not impressed with his sense of humor. "Thank you, but I think I can take it from here."

"Well, there's a visitor for you on the field," Carter leans against the door frame as she sinks back into her chair. "In case you decide you want that break. Pilot Walker has been asking about you for a couple hours now, and I figured around now would be the perfect time to clear both of your heads."

With a small chuckle, he's gone. But before Bryce can stand again, his head is popping back into the room— and he's saying something. "Oh, and you're welcome, by the way. I had to pull some tight strings for you, Dylan."

She grins as he disappears again, rolling her eyes as she exits the office and makes her way to the building exit. It leads straight to the trainee field; where all of the recruits train, take flight, and learn everything they need to know about battle. And, sure enough, Danny stands near the middle of the field, his eyes on the door— waiting to see her. When opening the door, Bryce realizes that there are flowers in his hand; pink carnations, to be exact. They're wrapped in a brown material, tied off with a a white string and bow.

The woman giggles at the sight. It was a giggle she hadn't let out in a long time— a girly one that rarely made an appearance. Yet here she was, walking towards a handsome pilot with a gorgeous smile who just happens to be holding flowers for her. How had she gotten so lucky as to have this special moment? All of her stress had gone dormant for now, and was tucked away into the back of her brain. All that mattered was that he was here.

"Might I say that I love a woman in uniform," Danny's smooth accent fills her ears as he pulls her into a tight embrace. "I thought I'd come see you before the . . . funeral tonight. How's Evelyn?"

"Holding up," Bryce sighs as he releases her, keeping his hands latched onto her waist, as if letting go might mean losing her forever. "Although I'm not so sure about now. She took off of work today from the hospital, and Rosie and some of the other girls are splitting her hours so she still gets paid. I just don't know how to comfort her about all of this, Danny."

"Some time and space is exactly what she needs," he nods, his thumb tracing her cheekbone. "It'll take a while for things to set in. I still haven't grasped it, I don't think. But we all cope differently, and I can only assume writing letters and hiding them away is her way of handling the situation."

"Maybe the two of you should do something tomorrow." Bryce suggests, liking the idea already. "It'd help her, I just know it. And it wouldn't hurt for you to talk to someone about it, too. A healing process, maybe."

"But then I wouldn't get to see you." He frowns, his lips upturning. Bryce wished to turn it upright again, at least just for a moment. A beautiful face like his didn't need the mark of a pout.

"Maybe it's for the best," she grins, patting his cheek. "I could use some time to myself, anyway. Commander Carter is giving me quite the stack of work to do, and I don't know how I'll manage to finish if you're distracting me."

"You know you love it," Danny pulls her closer to his chest, nudging her nose with his.

And as she laughs along with him, she can't help but take to her own mind and wonder.

Maybe Danny's distractions weren't the only thing she was beginning to love.

_______