Page 86 of Moonlight Feels Right
"That's great."
"It really is. I feel like we can all breathe easier now. We took a walk on the beach, and I could see my mother finally starting to feel her freedom."
"I'm so happy for all of you."
"Me, too. It's all because of my aunt. She never gave up on getting my mother out of there. My mom might be weak, but my aunt is a lion."
"You take after her."
"I hope I do."
"I'd like to see you, Em. It feels like way too long."
"Not tonight," she said quickly. "I need to get some sleep, and I think you probably need that as well. You have even bigger tests coming in the next few days."
As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. "I do. And to be honest, I'm not sure I can get up from the couch I'm on."
"You should go to bed."
"I miss sleeping with you."
"We didn't do a lot of sleeping the night we were together, Hunter," she said dryly.
He laughed. "True. But you know what I mean."
"I do. But I want the best results for you, so I'm going to help you by saying goodnight."
"You know I don't like to take help."
Her laugh warmed his heart. "I know that very well. You know, every year I read the kids in my class a story about a bear who gets a nail stuck in his paw. And he doesn't trust anyone, so he limps around in pain and frustration because he can't get the nail out by himself. And then one day, he lets someone help him, and he feels so much better. The nail is gone, and so is his pain, and he can be himself again."
"I'm guessing I'm the bear."
"You were until Olivia arrived. Until you had to let me help you. Now, you're yourself again, and the real you is so much better than the wounded bear who locked himself away in his apartment for seven months."
"I didn't think anyone could help. It wasn't just about trust. I thought it was impossible to feel better."
"And yet here you are—feeling better."
"Better than I would have imagined," he admitted. "Those dark days are behind me."
"So tomorrow and the next day, through whatever tests you have to face, just be yourself, Hunter. I am completely confident that will be good enough. Now I'm going to let you go so you can sleep."
He didn't want her to let go. He didn't want to stop talking to her. But he also needed to prove her right. If he was going to be his best self, he needed to sleep. "Good night, Em."
"Night, Hunter. I know you're not going to need it, but good luck."
"Thanks." As he hung up the phone, he thought of so many other things he could have said and wanted to say, but tonight wasn't the time. He just had a bad feeling that there was never going be a right time.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Thursday afternoon, Hunter donned his flight suit, then reported to the simulator bay where a perfect replica of his helicopter's cockpit waited, hatch open. Lieutenant Commander Wong, a tall man with sharp eyes, stood at the control panel.
"Captain Kane," Wong greeted him. "Are you ready?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Today's session will run approximately two hours. We'll start with standard flight procedures, then progress to increasingly complex scenarios. Some will mirror aspects of your accident. Our objective is to assess your technical skills and your psychological response to stress triggers. Any questions before we begin?"
