Page 124 of Forever Fallen

“The moment I married you at DFW, Sunshine.

Ryan smiled tenderly.

* * *

Thirteen years later…

“MOM! MOM! Mom? Are you here?”Ben hollered loudly and Sophie heard Ruby huff, storming off angrily, slamming her bedroom door shut hard enough to rattle the picture frames on the wall.

“Ruby! Don’t do that!” Ryan yelled up the stairs, glowering at the door that had posters and stickers all over it.

“What are you two…” Sophie came around the corner of the landing upstairs to see Ryan and Ben standing at the bottom of the stairs, both grinning proudly. “What are you two up to?”

“Go ahead,” Ryan urged proudly. “This is your news to share.”

“Mom… I soloed!”

“What?” Sophie exclaimed, looking at Ryan – and then at Ben, plastering a smile on her face. “Aren’t you a little young?”

“I’m sixteen,” Ben shrugged, looking so much like his father in that moment. “I soloed and I am going to apply to the Air Force Academy my senior year. I decided and was talking with Toby…”

“Oh, heaven help me…” Sophie groaned.

“What? Toby is going and Uncle Valkyrie said that he loved his time there. Dad, too…”

“So, you soloed?” Sophie repeated, coming down the stairs with a basket full of dirty towels. “Did you pick a call sign too then, Mr. Fancy Flyboy?”

She smiled proudly.

This was her son’s moment to shine – and she would just discuss this later with Ryan to see what all of this would involve. She knew nothing about the Academy, flying, or how to proceed with any of this.

“Actually, yeah I did,” Ben grinned. “Uncle Valkyrie and Uncle Firefly said that my call sign ‘had to be super cool, strike fear in the enemy, and make the ladies swoon’…”

“They did say that,” Ryan laughed, patting his son on the shoulder, before squeezing it proudly.

Ben was nearly as tall as his father, both had the same dark hair, dark eyes, and jawline that made them look almost mutinous when they put their minds to something.

Her sweet boy had grown up so fast… and Ruby was so mad at her right now because she wouldn’t let her dye her hair green.

Sophie sighed.

“So, what is this ‘super cool call sign that will make the ladies swoon’?” Sophie asked, preparing herself, because Ryan was practically beaming.

“Phantom,” Ben whispered proudly. “Isn’t that cool? I mean, I can see it stenciled and painted on my helmet when I’m flying…”

“And on the side of your jet it will say Benedict ‘Phantom’Merrick…” Ryan interjected. “I love that, and it does sound cool.”

“So now we’ve gotReaper,Phantom,Chopped Liver, andPrincessin this house…” Sophie teased as both guys laughed.

“Ruby still wants her hair dyed green?” Ryan asked.

“She’s not speaking to me right now because I said ‘no’ again.”

“Let her dye it,” he shrugged – and Sophie heard the bedroom door open immediately at his words, both adults realizing that their eleven-year-old daughter was listening to see if she would get her way.

“Let her dye it green and if we hate it? I’ll shave her head personally and enjoy every second of it,” Ryan acquiesced, his eyes narrowing on the door above Sophie’s head – and she realized he was looking directly at their daughter.

“DADDY NOOOOO!” Ruby shrieked, slamming the door shut again.

---