09 March 2019 – Terrazzo Drive, Monument, Colorado

“March 9th, the day the circus came to town …” Sabrina muttered as official vehicles from the area filled the street behind her plane.

Police, Fire, and EMS vehicles from five different municipalities, Air Force Security Forces, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Fish and Wildlife … There were vehicles from departments she’d never heard of in her life.

“I’m surprised the Bureau of Land Management isn’t here, too,” she muttered to Mia. The pre-teen giggled and sipped at her iced coffee. Sabrina drank her own coffee and recalled the events after their landing.

The travel center they overflew had a Dunkin’ Donuts in it. The man from the pickup, Mr. Liebherr, watched the Cessna for Sabrina while she and Mia ambled over to the coffee shop. Sabrina offered to get Mr. Liebherr and the tractor-trailer driver something but they both declined. She commented to the girl at the counter that she didn’t think she could have gotten her vehicle through the drive-thru, and that’s why they came inside. Her gallows humor shocked the staff and most of the other customers – except for Mia.

The pair returned to the plane to find Kurt Liebherr arguing with an El Paso County deputy sheriff.

“And I don’t care who you are, kid, the plane is the property of the United States Air Force. Also, any aircraft incident usually falls under the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration when the military’s not involved. You touch it, and you’re disturbing a federal crime scene.”

Sabrina wasn’t sure about an almost forty-year-old Cessna with a bad engine being considered a crime scene, but maybe it was until the feds determined it wasn’t? Whatever. Above her pay grade. The deputy tried to start questioning Sabrina.

“Nope. I’m waiting for the Air Force investigators to get here before I answer any questions.” He frowned at her answer and turned to Mia. Sabrina stopped him before he could open his mouth. “She’s a minor whose parents are not present. You do not have permission to question her and I can’t give you that permission, even if I wanted to – which I don’t. Go play in traffic. Keep those rubberneckers from getting any closer.” The deputy stomped away.

“You sure pissed him off in a hurry,” Kurt Liebherr said.

“It’s a gift,” Sabrina replied with a shrug. “I get it from my dad.”

Back in the present, the Gallardos’ SUV screeched to a stop at the intersection of Bishop Road and Terrazzo Drive. The El Paso deputy very nearly got punched in the face when he tried to keep Joe Gallardo away from Mia.

“Dad, I can’t breathe!” Mia gasped when Joe hugged her tight.

“Are you two all right?”

“Other than almost being crushed to death just now, we’re fine, Dad.”

“Sabrina, Jose sent this along. He said it might answer some questions.” Joe handed over a piece of paper.

It was her fuel slip. Sabrina read it twice before picking up on why Jose thought it was important. Front Range’s fuel attendant had put Jet-A – kerosene – in the Cessna’s gas tank, not the one-hundred low-lead fuel she asked for. The Cessna’s venerable Lycoming O-235 engine cannot burn kerosene with its low compression ratio. There might as well have been water in the fuel tank.

“Hoooo boy … Did Jose leave the kid alive?”

“Barely. Jose wasn’t happy, though.”

“Joe, even though he put the wrong fuel in the tank, in all honesty, this is my fault.”

“How is it your fault, Sabrina?”

“I am – was, I guess – the pilot in command of this aircraft. I should have made sure he put the right fuel in. Hell, if I had simply read the slip before I paid for the fuel I would have caught it.”

An Air Force pickup pulled through the police security cordon. A man well-known to those who frequented the academy airfield stepped out. Senior Master Sergeant Elian Fernandez, the enlisted man in charge of all aircraft maintenance at the academy, stalked up to Sabrina. The massive and ever-present wad of chewing tobacco inside his lower lip added menace to his normal, unhappy visage.

“Whatchu do to my aircraft, Cadet?” he asked in an exaggerated Chicano accent. He turned his head and a thick stream of tobacco juice flew through the air. Mia stepped between Sabrina and the senior NCO with her fits on her hips, her defiant scowl against his angry one.

“She put it on the ground in one piece, thank you very much!”

The unthinkable happened next – Elian Fernandez smiled at Sabrina.

“I guess Reinita told me, no?” He smiled down at Sabrina’s passenger next. “You’re right, Pollito. And there are very few at the academy who can handle a dead-stick landing like that without any warning. What did you ladies notice?”

“Like I told Ops, Sergeant, I stopped at COS to refuel and pick Mia up. A few minutes after takeoff, the engine sputtered for about a minute before cutting out completely. This is probably why.”

Fernandez looked down at the offered fuel slip and grunted. He raised his phone to his ear.

“Jefferson, get something over here we can drain a tankful of mixed Jet-A and one-hundred low-lead into … Yeah, good catch. Bring two or three of those ten-pound extinguishers along, too … We’ll have to take the wings off before we truck the plane back to the academy, too … Right.” A young Air Force first lieutenant walked up.

“Where are we at, Sergeant?” The officer was Sergeant Fernandez’s nominal supervisor.

“Fuel problem, sir. Someone put Jet-A in the tank at COS.” The lieutenant glared at Sabrina.

“Why was this aircraft at COS, Cadet?”

“As approved by the Flying Club when I signed out the aircraft, sir, I picked up Miss Gallardo there for a familiarization flight. I’d been out flying for close to three hours before landing at COS, so I needed fuel. My family and I use the FBO services at Front Range Aviation frequently, sir, so I asked them to refuel one-one-three when I picked up my passenger. The club knew I’d be refueling there.” The lieutenant opened his mouth to say something, but Fernandez cut him off.

“The plane falls under the club’s control, sir. If they knew about it beforehand, it’s not really our problem. All we can do now is to get the aircraft back to the academy, sir.”

Now it was the lieutenant’s turn to march away unhappy.

“Him being unhappy didn’t faze you at all, did it?”

“It’s not like he’s the Superintendent or anything, Sarge …”

A woman in her mid-thirties stepped up to the small group next. “Miss Knox? I’m Jackie Smalls, from the Denver fizzdo’s accident investigation team. I understand you were the PIC of this aircraft? Do you have a few minutes to answer questions?”

The ‘Denver fizzdo’ is the FAA’s Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) in Denver. Their accident team would likely be the lead on this minor investigation.

“Yes, ma’am, as soon as Mia and I get our personal belongings from the aircraft.”

The FAA team borrowed a conference room at the Monument Police Department ten minutes away. The drive to MPD was longer than the investigation, but the forms had to be observed. Sabrina handed over the fuel slip from Front Range and explained her plan for the day. The fuel slip answered ninety percent of the FSDO team’s questions.

“That’s it from us, Miss Knox,” the lead investigator said. “This seems pretty cut-and-dried.”

“I’d be really surprised if Jose doesn’t fire the kid, but I hope he won’t. Jose should view it as an educational opportunity.”

“He almost killed you, Miss Knox,” another of the team pointed out.

“I’ve had people try to kill me before, sir,” she answered with a wry grin while brushing a hand over the scars on her face. “This was just an accident.”

Sabrina stepped back into the MPD lobby.

“How’d it go, Sabrina?” Joe asked. She shrugged.

“Not much to investigate, Joe. The Jet-A in the tank caused the engine to cut out. The rest of their questions were about our actions during the emergency.”

“You mean your actions, right, Sabrina?” Mia asked.

“No, Mia, I meant ours, as I said. You’re the one who found the trail where we landed.” Mia beamed at her big sister. Sabrina turned to Joe. “Have you talked to Helen yet?”

Joe winced. “No. I’ve kinda been waiting to see how this would play out.” Sabrina cocked her head and gave him a look. “Shit …” he sighed.

Joe walked outside and raised his phone to his ear and a Monument police officer stepped into the lobby moments later.

“Are you all set, Miss Knox? Do you need a ride somewhere?”

“No, I’m good, sir.” Sabrina waved at Joe pacing back and forth outside while he spoke to Helen. “My ride is explaining my adventure to his wife. This young lady was my passenger in the plane, and she’s their daughter.”

The officer’s eyebrows rose. “Eesh.”

“Yeah. You’re not kidding.”

Joe walked back inside. “Come on, you two. We’re meeting Helen and Felicity for pizza.”

The fuel incident only served to reinforce that Felicity had no interest in flying in a small plane. For her sister it was the opposite. Any hero-worship Mia may have felt toward Sabrina had doubled or tripled with Sabrina’s handling of today’s mishap. Mia announced to her parents at dinner that she wanted to learn to fly.

“Mia, what I did doesn’t happen overnight,” Sabrina reminded her. “What you saw was the result of hours of lessons with my flight instructor. Hours of emergency procedure review, hours of aircraft-specific emergency procedure review, ATC radio procedure … What you saw was all second nature. If I had needed to stop and think about my next step at any point …” She left the last part unsaid.

“Sabrina, what you did was AWESOME!”

“Mia,” Sabrina said, making sure the nine-year-old heard the seriousness in her voice, “what I did could have turned out very badly if we had been just a little further west, a little further from that path where we landed. We had little margin for error with that landing. As in none. If I didn’t put the plane on the ground safely the first time, there was no ‘going around for another pass.’ We’d have been on the ground all right but in lots of little pieces. The plane wouldn’t have made out very well, either.”

Mia’s jaw set in a familiar look of defiance. Sabrina sighed and looked at Mia’s parents.

“Sorry, guys. It looks like she’s come down with a terminal case of ‘pilot.’”

“Well, we all have our issues …” Helen sighed back. She turned to her youngest. “Mia, if you want to learn to fly, your father and I will look into it. You, however, need to promise us that you’re going to stick with it. No ‘I don’t feel like going to my lesson today.’ You start this, and we’re going to insist you finish it. Especially if we’re going to pay for it.”

“I promise, Mom,” Mia replied, nodding her head vigorously. “I won’t let anyone down.” The last line was delivered with a quick glance at Sabrina.

“Hey there, Amelia Earhart.”

“Knock it off, Tommy …”

“Hey, I’m just acknowledging your skill as an aviatrix. Do they still use that word? ‘Aviatrix?’”

“Someone’s been reading too many online articles.”

“Maybe one or two …”

“I reacted to a crisis pilots train for, that’s all.”

“I’m glad you paid attention during your training, then. I’m sure Helen and Joe are, also.”

“Mia told them at dinner the other night she wants to be a pilot.”

“And they’re smart enough not to get in that girl’s way, I’m sure.”

“Exactly. They’re going to start checking out the flight schools down here next weekend.”

“Speaking of next weekend, what’s your schedule like?”

“The hockey season’s over so no practices to worry about. I have a Silver Weekend this week, so next weekend’s free.”

“Good. You’ve got about two weeks to find something kinda dressy for a dinner out with your boyfriend.”

“Ooh, la la! Guess I should ask my boyfriend where we’re gonna go, huh?”

“You could, but he’s not gonna tell you where …”

“Bastard …”

“Nope, my parents were married well before I came along, Sabrina. Anyway, you’ll need something civilian-dressy, but not something as fancy as your prom dress. Though that looked really good on you.”

“You know I still fit into that, right?”

“But it’s back in Lancaster, right? I’ll have to come up with a reason for your parents to ship it to you one of these days.”

Tommy knocked on the Gallardos’ front door the following Saturday night. The thirty-degree night air pricked at his face and ears as he waited. Being accustomed to cold winters Tommy wore warm clothes and boots, so the wait wasn’t uncomfortable. He turned when he heard the Gallardos’ deadbolt unlock. It wasn’t the frosty air that stole the breath from his lungs, it was the sight of his girlfriend.

Sabrina wore her black hair draped over her right shoulder and it shimmered under the porch light. A black leather bomber jacket lined with black faux fur over a gray, wool, calf-length pencil skirt and low-heeled black riding boots gave her an effortless, sophisticated look. A light-blue sweater under the bomber jacket made her blue eyes stand out more than usual. She wore only the barest hint of makeup, which enhanced her natural beauty.

“Oh, wow …” Tommy whispered, his mouth suddenly dry. He swallowed a few times. Sabrina stepped outside and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thank you, kind sir.” She hooked his arm before looking back over her shoulder at the Gallardo family. “Don’t wait up!” Mia’s giggle followed them down the walk.

“So, where are we going, good-looking?” she asked.

“I forget …”

She mock-pouted. “You promised me a nice dinner, pal, and I aim to collect so you better remember quickly!”

Tommy shook his head to clear it after opening Sabrina’s door for her. He punched the restaurant’s address into the GPS app on his phone after starting the car. Her eyes narrowed.

“Just the address, huh? Still keeping secrets?”

“Oh, let me have a little bit of fun, would ya?” he groused.

“You’ve spent way too much time around my father.”

They pulled up to an upscale restaurant nestled at the very base of one of the local mountains fifteen minutes later. A valet opened Sabrina’s door. Another handed Tommy a claim ticket before sliding behind the wheel of the truck.

“Good evening, sir, miss. How may I assist you?” the maître d’ asked.

“Jones, party of two for six-thirty.”

“Ah, yes, Mr. Jones. Your table is ready. If you and the young lady would follow me?”

“This place is some kind of chic, Tommy!” Sabrina whispered after the maître d’ walked away.

“The food and the service are supposed to be spectacular, too.” Tommy raised his water glass. “Not that it compares to how spectacular you look tonight, though.” Sabrina blushed in response.

Tommy was right about the service and food. Their waitress was attentive without being obsequious. The food was heavenly. Sabrina’s Chateaubriand melted in her mouth, the asparagus and silky béarnaise sauce were perfect companions to the beef. The restaurant’s handmade chocolate chip cannoli and fresh-brewed coffee finished off the meal.

“I’m gonna need a few extra hours in the gym after that meal,” Sabrina sighed. “That was outstanding!”

“One meal isn’t gonna hurt your figure, Sabrina. Certainly not with the phenomenal shape you’re in.” Tommy sipped at his coffee. “How’s the rest of your year shaping up?”

“Busy, as usual. I’m finishing up that class on instructing the glider instructors, plus I still have the rest of my courses for my major: Space Systems Design, Linear Systems Design, Law for Air Force Officers, Physics of Deformable Bodies, Rocket Propulsion, Statistics … my schedule is pretty full, and not one of those classes is a cakewalk.”

“Any word on your duty assignment for this summer, yet?”

“Not yet. Should be hearing about that within the next month, I would think. Hey, Mom and Dad are visiting in three weeks. Are you free that weekend?”

“I’m pretty sure I am, but I’ll double-check. Are they staying with the Gallardos again?”

“No, they’re getting a hotel room near Denver. They’re visiting Uncle Chris and the Schultheises while they’re out here, so I’ll drive up there that weekend.”

Tommy paid the check and they walked outside. The restaurant’s back patio and grounds, normally well-groomed and well-ordered during the warmer months had yet to awaken from their winter slumber. The paths were clear, however, giving the couple a place to wander and have time alone.

“How are Alex and his lady?” Tommy asked.

“I think I talk to Anna more than Alex at this point … They’re doing well. Alex will wind up graduating summa cum laude, I’m sure. He’ll start his Ph.D. while waiting for Anna to finish her degree.”

“Are they still waiting until Alex finishes school to get married?”

“For now. Anna doesn’t sound one hundred percent certain of that these days. She might break and start advocating for an earlier wedding.”

“Wherever they find their happiness,” Tommy replied. “And you, Sabrina? Will your career plans allow for a wedding?”

Tommy glanced over at Sabrina. He was somewhat sure she would get married at some point in her career, but Sabrina had a habit of keeping people guessing. She squeezed Tommy’s hand in reassurance.

“Having one doesn’t preclude the other, Tom. It’ll be a matter of choosing the right partner. Luckily there’s already a pretty strong contender for that position.” Tommy stopped and pulled Sabrina to him. She welcomed the kiss and melted into it.

This was as open a conversation as they had ever had about the possibility of getting married. It was hard enough for male service members to find spouses willing to follow them around, but females in the military had it worse. The male ego can be a fragile thing at times. Sabrina was confident that Tommy knew what he was getting into, however.

Tommy looked down at his girlfriend after the kiss ended. The cold mountain air had brought out the color in her cheeks, and the moonlight made her eyes sparkle. How he ever summoned the courage to move two thousand miles and pursue this gorgeous creature he’d never know. The girl was a force of nature, while his calmer, more sedate nature balanced them as a couple.

“What are you thinking, Tom?” she asked in a whisper.

“I’m wondering how I ever got this lucky …”

She hugged him again. “You made your own luck, but I got lucky, too, Tom. You help keep me flying straight and level, keep me from getting too stressed out, too wound up.”

He leaned down and nipped at her ear. “I hope I can wind you up from time to time, Sabrina …” He kissed her neck, drawing a shiver from her.

“Don’t start something you’re not going to finish, mister!” she growled. “Remember that we’re staying at Helen and Joe’s tonight!”

“Oh, I’ll finish …”

“Tommy!”

“You must know I want you, Sabrina,” he said, pulling back again. “More importantly, Sabrina, I love you.”

“Oh, Tommy, I love you too!” Another long, deep kiss followed. Tommy brushed a thumb over Sabrina’s cheek and the fading scars there. “Do you have a suit with you while you’re out here at school?”

“Sure. It even fits, too. Why?”

“My Ring Dance is in less than two months, the week before Graduation Week.”

“Ring Dance?”

“When second class cadets at the academy get our class rings. Male cadets wear their dress uniforms while we females have the option to wear our uniforms or ball gowns. Maybe I can have my folks bring my prom dress out and I can wear that?”

“Like I’m gonna argue with that plan?”

Life at the academy continued to roll along for Sabrina. With less than eighteen months to go before she graduated, Sabrina had the place figured out for the most part. Classes continued to challenge her without crushing her under their weight. She looked forward to seeing her parents this coming weekend. She knew she was luckier than most cadets not from the area. Her folks visited often.

Sabrina’s phone rang during ACQ. “Hey, Mom.”

“Daughter, I am sorry to say we will not be joining you this weekend.”

“Is everything okay, Mom?” Sabrina asked as she sat up straight. She glanced at Dina and motioned that she would step out of the room. Dina motioned that she should stay.

“You know that we do not speak of Ryan around you these days, knowing your feelings toward him, but he was injured playing baseball at Wake Forest. Your father and I are flying to North Carolina in the morning.”

Ryan Knox, her brother, was the middle child in their family, and its black sheep. Sabrina didn’t know how her parents knew how she felt about him since she wasn’t sure herself.

“What happened, Mom?”

“Your father said, ‘he got rolled trying to turn a double play.’ Ryan suffered a serious open fracture of his left ankle which will require surgery.”

“Mom, I really don’t know how to feel about Ryan, even after all this time. We were close until he hit puberty, but …” Sabrina took a deep breath. “He is your son, and you should go see him. How did you even find out, anyway? Last I heard from Dad it’s not like Ryan calls very much, and he hasn’t ever come home since graduating high school.”

“His coach called. I believe he ignored Ryan’s wishes in the matter, but the man is a father himself.”

“Well, I’m sorry I won’t get to see you and Dad this weekend.”

“As am I. I will allow you to return to your classwork now, Sabrina.”

“Love you, Mom. Say hi to Dad for me.”

“Everything okay?” Dina asked.

“My folks aren’t coming out this weekend. They have to fly down to North Carolina tomorrow.”

“What’s in Carolina?”

“My other brother goes to Wake Forest. He plays baseball for them, second base. Mom said Ryan got hurt pretty badly during a double play attempt.”

“He’s the one you don’t talk about much?”

Sabrina nodded. “I haven’t seen or talked to him since before his high school graduation.” She closed her textbooks. She was done studying, anyhow. “I’m gonna go walk a few laps around the T-zo to clear my head.”

Tommy sensed Sabrina’s unease that weekend while in the car together near Denver.

“Babe? What’s the matter?” he asked from the driver’s seat. Sabrina shrugged her eyes on the road in front of them.

“I’m not sure how I should feel about Ryan getting hurt.”

“It’s not like you’ve really given him much thought since you left home,” Tommy said. “Is being unsure of your feelings all that surprising in this case?” Sabrina shrugged again. “Sabrina, there are two different Ryans in your head. One was your friend growing up, your partner in crime. The other was your tormentor, someone who couldn’t ever be happy for you or anyone else. You’re having trouble deciding which one he is now, which one got hurt. You haven’t seen him in four years, so how would you know?”

“I guess I wouldn’t.”

“Right, so you need to cut yourself a little slack. ‘Insufficient information with which one may form an opinion.’ You need to acknowledge that it could be a while before you get that information, too.” Tommy sighed. “Okay, so here we are …”

Much like the Gallardos’ place, their destination was nestled in the Front Range’s foothills. It was two or three times the size, however, and surrounded by an eight-foot privacy fence. Tommy reached out to press the call button.

“May I help you?” a voice from the call box asked. Sabrina leaned over her boyfriend.

“HI, UNCLE CHRIS!”

The man at the other end of the intercom laughed.

“Hey, Sabrina! It’s actually Aaro. Come on in.” The gate swung open.

The front door opened as Tommy coasted to a stop on the circular drive. A tall blond man stepped out to greet them. Sabrina sprang out of the car.

“Holy shit, it’s an ice giant!”

Aaro Micklicz smiled down at Sabrina after their hug, his pale blue eyes twinkling.

“Ice giant? I think I like that a lot more than albino!”

“You sound even more like your dad in person!”

“Yeah, I used to have fun with it when the people from the Avalanche’s front office called. Almost had them talked into paying me nine million a year once before they knew I wasn’t Dad! I woulda held them to it, regardless!”

Sabrina’s eyes narrowed. “Fish tales, A! Your dad had an agent for that!”

“Okay, would you believe I almost convinced one of the ladies from the office to go out with me because she thought I was Dad, then?”

“As devoted as your father is to your mom? No.”

Aaro sighed dramatically. “Guess I’ll have to actually use that math degree instead of writing fiction. Apparently, I’m not very convincing.” Aaro glanced behind Sabrina. “This is Tommy, then?”

“Tommy, this is Aaro Micklicz, Uncle Chris’ youngest. A, this is my boyfriend, Tommy Jones.”

Aaro shook Tommy’s hand. “How often do people sing ‘It’s Not Unusual’ when they meet you?”

“Eh. Fifty-fifty …”

“About how often people ask if I’ve quit the Hitler Youth yet. I’m Finnish, not German!”

“Ice giant …”

“Yeah, Odin must have missed one or two of us back in the day. You guys come on in. Äiti and Isä are out back with J.”

Tommy looked at Sabrina, puzzled.

“‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ in Finnish,” she answered.

Aaro led them through the sprawling ranch-style house to the patio off the dining room. A fit couple and another ice giant rose from their seats to greet the visitors.

“Hi, Uncle Chris!”

“Hiya, Squirt!” Chris Micklicz replied as he hugged his ‘niece.’

“Sabrina, you look just like your mother!”

“Thanks, Aunt Kaari! I’m still not sure Dad’s all that comfortable with that fact, but now that Tommy’s got me just about pinned down he’s breathing a little easier.”

“And this is Tommy?”

“Yes! Tommy, these folks are Chris and Kaarina Seppälä Micklicz. The ice giant behind them is Aaro’s older, twin brother Jari.”

“Older by twenty minutes!” Jari protested.

“Older is older, brother,” Aaro shot back.

“Sit! Sit!” Kaari insisted.

“What did you feed these two growing up, anyway?”

“Same stuff Kaari and I ate, Sabrina,” Chris admitted. “Though once they passed Kaari and me, I suggested we stop feeding them …”

“Needless to say I vetoed that plan!”

“I’m just glad they take after you, Auntie, and not the battered and mutilated hockey player you saddled yourself with. Are they still eating you out of house and home?”

“See if I stick up for you again …” Chris grumbled.

“‘Stick …’ I see what you did there!” Tommy quipped. Chris threw a wadded-up napkin at him, but it fell far short of its target. “Don’t take up baseball as another career, Mr. Micklicz!”

“Who let you in here, anyway?”

Laughter rippled around the patio. Sabrina felt the earlier tension fading away.

“We’re glad you decided to drive up from the academy after your folks had to cancel, Sabrina.”

“It’s no secret I’m not close to Ryan, Auntie. I haven’t talked to him in years! He’s still my parents’ son even if I barely consider him my brother, but I haven’t seen you guys in forever. I wanted to show off my guy, too!”

“You two were neighbors growing up, right Tom? I think I remember meeting you at some point.”

“Yessir, Mr. Micklicz. My family moved into the house next to Sabrina’s when I was two. We were classmates until we graduated high school.”

“And you transferred to U of Denver once you figured out you couldn’t live without her? That’s so romantic!” Kaari exclaimed.

“Well, it was certainly a gamble, ma’am, but it seems like it’s paying off.” Tommy squeezed Sabrina’s hand. Chris and Kaari shared a look and a smile.

“What about you two?” Sabrina asked the twins, bringing them back into the conversation. “What are you up to these days?”

“No good as usual,” one of them replied. Tommy wasn’t sure who was who, but Sabrina didn’t seem to have that problem.

“Glad to see that hasn’t changed, Jari!”

“A’s gonna stay in school and get at least a master’s in math. He says he wants to teach math like your grandmother,” Jari replied. “I’m finishing up my phys ed degree, and I’m hoping to get into UMass Amherst for my master’s in sports management. I want to either manage some skating rinks while I do some coaching or run after-school sports programs for underprivileged kids when I get done.”

“Did you play hockey in college?” Tommy asked.

“No,” Aaro answered as both boys shook their heads. “We didn’t have that much passion for the game. Well, that’s not entirely true – we love hockey, but we didn’t want to eat, sleep and breathe playing it like some colleges want you to do, and ours definitely did. Dad did very well in the hockey business, but that’s not what we wanted.”

“Cadet Knox, you got a minute?” the major called from his desk.

“What’s up, sir?” she asked Major Cunningham, the officer in charge of the soaring programs at the academy. She stepped into his office.

“How are you enjoying the program this year?”

“Well, 473’s a bit different than 451, but it’s still instructing others. I do kinda miss seeing the smiles on the younger cadets’ faces after their first flights, but giving others the chance to see that is pretty cool, too, sir.”

“Have you received your leadership assignment for the first half of your first class year yet?”

“Not yet, sir, no.”

Pete Cunningham held out a folded sheet of paper. Sabrina raised an eyebrow and unfolded it. She blinked a couple of times before looking back up.

“Really, sir?”

“Sabrina, you’re a natural instructor as well as a natural pilot. I can’t think of anyone in Cadet Wing more qualified to lead the program until the winter.”

“‘Until the winter,’ sir? Both the summer and fall slots?”

“Yes.”

“Sir, I am deeply honored that I would be considered for this billet, especially given my history here at the academy.”

“Which is a major reason why I recommended you for the position, Cadet, and for both slots. You have the backbone to stand up to people when necessary and accomplish the mission.”

A light clicked on inside Sabrina’s brain.

“Plus it’ll keep me from potentially taking up other, more visible positions, right, sir?”

“Sabrina, I can’t deny there is some politicking involved in this decision,” he sighed. “The fact remains, however, that you are eminently qualified for the position assigned.”

“Then I’ll make sure I prove you right, sir.”

“That would be appreciated.”

Sabrina found Dina in their room reading her own summer assignment order.

“What’d’ja get?”

“Basic Cadet Training staff, Charlie Flight commander. You?”

“Soaring Program commander. Summer and fall.”

“No shit?”

“Negative fecal matter, Ghostrider. The billet is full. I probably won’t get as much flight time as I do now, though, and that’s even less than when I was just an instructor!”

“Oh, the crosses you have to bear …”

“Feh! Ix-nay on the arcasm-say.”

“You weren’t kidding about still fitting into that dress, Sabrina,” Tommy said as they walked to Arnold Hall for Sabrina’s Ring Dance. “I think it looks even better on you now than it did then!”

“Of course it does, Tommy! I’m your date this time!” Sabrina batted her eyelashes at him.

“You’re asking for it, lady!” he growled into her ear.

“I hope so! Otherwise, my weekend pass will have been wasted!” she whispered back.

“You’re lucky I was able to find a hotel room nearby, too! Graduation Week isn’t just graduation week here, it’s also grad week at three other schools!”

“And why, perchance, would we need a room at a hotel instead of at Helen and Joe’s, Thomas?”

“Have I not made that clear enough, Sabrina?” Tommy asked, as he nuzzled her ear again.

“Oh, yes,” she breathed, shivering oh so slightly. “You have …”

The walk to Arnold Hall was one that most civilian visitors to the academy don’t get to make. For this occasion, Tommy was allowed in the Cadet Area. Sabrina explained the tradition involving the polished marble tiles on the Terrazzo, the significance of the aircraft on display, the names of the buildings. They waited their turn to have their photo taken by the Webguy blog photographer. Sabrina’s parents would be able to download the image for professional printing. The iconic Cadet Chapel dominated the photo’s background.

Once seated, they found programs for the night at their places. The programs bore the image of the class crest on the side of the class rings. Sabrina explained the significance of the crest’s elements.

“‘Finis Visa Est – Target In Sight.’” Tommy read. “That’s certainly appropriate. Your graduation’s only a year away now.”

“So near, yet so far!” Abaeze Nwafor, a Nigerian exchange cadet, exclaimed.

“You ain’t kidding, Abe …” sighed Dina Metzger from across the table. “My little brother the computer whiz wrote an app for my phone that’ll count down the days until graduation for me.”

Military dining-ins are full of traditions, and the Ring Dance was no exception. The rising firsties endured an obligatory, yet inspiring and well-received speech from the current Air Force Chief of Staff. The cadets found their rings at the bottom of their champagne flutes as many of the classes before theirs had.

Groups of cadets left A-Hall together after the dinner, along with various couples and the occasional solitary person. Sabrina and Tommy wandered across the T-zo in the direction of the Cadet Chapel where Tommy’s truck was parked. The late spring night was cool, but not cold, and the stars shone overhead. Lights bathed the gleaming spires of the chapel, making them stand out against the night sky.

Tommy led Sabrina around the chapel as they talked, admiring the backlit stained glass along the way. Tommy stopped at the base of the south stairs and turned to his girlfriend.

“Sabrina, the last six months have been the most fulfilling months of my life. I hoped I’d be able to track you down once I transferred out here, and running into you in Breckenridge will be forever etched in my memory. Every moment I’m with you reinforces to me that I don’t want to be apart from you any more than I have to be. I know your career will pose challenges for us, but I want to be by your side as we face them together. Sabrina?”

Tommy got down on one knee in a time-honored pose and removed a small box from his pocket.

“Sabrina Marie Knox, will you marry me?”