Page 92 of Moonlight Feels Right
He nodded, feeling confident he could handle whatever they asked. The series of challenges he'd recently completed had made him realize he was ready to return to active duty. Whatever doubts he'd had about his ability to complete the tests were now gone. While the testing had been rigorous and extreme, it had actually helped him complete his recovery.
The first few questions were relatively easy, as Reed went over the results of his physical tests. Then he turned it over to Major Davis, a woman with short brown hair and sharp eyes, who wanted to know more about his mental state, whether he suffered from flashbacks or intrusive memories, how he might handle them if they occurred in the future, how he could be sure that he wouldn't freeze if faced with a situation similar to the one he'd experienced.
He answered with firm certainty that while he couldn't predict the future, and his memories would always be with him, he was confident that the past would not interfere with his ability to do his job.
The other three officers took turns asking their own questions, none of which he had trouble answering because he'd done the work required to get to this moment.
Finally, Colonel Reed said, "Is there anything you'd like to say, Captain, before we give you our decision?"
He thought about that question for a moment, then said, "I've been a Marine and a pilot for my entire adult life. I know exactly what the job entails, and I believe I am more than capable of doing it. Every experience in life teaches us something. This one was difficult because of my injuries and also because I lost a very good friend. Having to rebuild my body and my mental state was a challenge, but I believe I was successful in meeting that challenge. Whatever you decide here today won't change that." He paused. "While I sometimes railed against the tests I had to complete before this meeting, I appreciate the fact that the Corps has not only had my best interests at heart but also the interests of those I would serve with. I'm glad that this decision will come only after rigorous investigation."
"Thank you, Captain," Reed said. "The board will deliberate and render its decision. Please wait outside."
He stood, saluted, and exited the room.
As the door closed behind him, he took a deep breath. He'd done his best. It was out of his hands. All he could do was wait.
The waiting was killing her. Emmalyn got home around five and spent a half hour tidying up her kitchen. Then she sat down at the kitchen table and tried to work on a lesson plan for next week. By six, she abandoned any pretense of work and moved to the window.
The courtyard below was quiet, no one in the pool or sitting at one of the tables, nothing to distract her from the dozens of questions running through her mind: What if the board hadn't cleared Hunter? He'd be devastated by that decision after how hard he'd worked. The thought made her stomach clench. Hunter's identity was so deeply intertwined with being a pilot and serving in the Marine Corps. To be told he was no longer good enough would be so difficult for him to handle.
On the other hand, what if they did clear him? What if Hunter was already making arrangements to report to his new unit, to pack up his life here and move on? How on earth was she going to say goodbye to him? He'd become her whole world. She got up thinking about him and went to bed thinking about him. She'd never imagined she could have such intense feelings about anyone.
In fact, she'd made a point of never giving her heart so completely, so recklessly, because she didn't want to get hurt. But he'd broken through her defenses, and it was too late to do anything about that.
Her heart quickened as she saw him enter the courtyard from the parking lot. He was wearing his uniform, another reminder that they were probably headed in different directions. She held her breath as he moved toward the stairs instead of his apartment. Turning away from the window, her heart pounding against her chest, she waited for his knock, and when it came, she drew in a breath and opened the door.
Her first thought was that he was even more handsome in his uniform. Her second thought was that his expression was completely unreadable. Was he happy? Angry? Resolved? She couldn't quite tell.
"Well?" she asked impatiently.
A smile finally spread across his face. "They cleared me for active duty."
"Oh, Hunter, I'm so happy for you." She ran into his arms, and he buried his head in her hair as they embraced for a long minute. Then she stepped back, trying to keep the smile on her face, even though her heart felt like it was about to break. "You must be relieved. You worked so hard to get back."
"I have a lot of feelings about it," he said as he moved into her apartment and shut the door.
"Did they say where you'll be assigned?"
"It looks likely that I'll be assigned to Cherry Point, North Carolina, with possible deployment to Southeast Asia within six months."
"Oh, wow," she murmured. "That's a big change."
"It is," he admitted.
"How long would you be deployed for?"
"Impossible to say, and everything could change."
"It's a lot of uncertainty to live with, isn't it?"
"It can be. It never bothered me before because I didn't care about having roots. My family was the team I was serving with." He drew in a breath. "But it feels different now, and that's because of you, Em, because of this damn group of incredible people you introduced me to."
"And Olivia and Bree," she said quietly.
"Them, too," he admitted. "But it's you I don't want to say goodbye to."
Her heart twisted painfully. "I don't want to say goodbye, either." She cleared her throat, wondering if she was really going to say what she was about to say. "I've been thinking, Hunter."
