Not to Reason Why

Change in Orders

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After the trip to her parents for dinner, Zack called Ruth more often. Triple dates with his friends became rare. They began spending nearly all their free time on weekends together. They went to dinner, took walks, and studied in the university library. It surprised her to see how much homework learning to fly a fighter jet required.

Then, just before he finished his training and the dreaded move to his assignment in North Carolina, the Air Force abruptly changed his orders. He joined a squadron at the base in Wichita. She was excited that they weren’t separated. He expressed his feelings to her. They began talking in general terms about their future together.

But her father had sensed what would come next. Zack called her unexpectedly after lunch on the Friday before her graduation. After all, they had a date that night.

He arrived with a somber look on his face. She noticed the focused stare, the flexing of his tight jaw muscles for the second time.

He drove west of town to their favorite spot on the lake. She noticed that he drove slower than usual. A car behind them honked when he remained stopped on a green light. The Corvette wandered in the lane.

They arrived at their spot. He parked, and he stared at the lake and the trees along the shore in silence for over a minute. Tension hung in the car, making it feel like several minutes to her. Finally, he turned.

“A group of pilots in my squadron have received orders to deploy to a base in Thailand in two months,” he informed her.

She remained silent.

“I’m one of them,” he added.

“Does this mean you will be in that war?” Ruth inquired, guessing the answer.

“Yes,” he responded quietly.

They both remained quiet, pondering.

“I’ve been thinking,” Zack started slowly. “I wonder if it would be better to wait until I finish my tour to get married.”

He stopped. She thought that he was fighting back tears.

“I would feel really terrible rushing away as soon as we have said ‘I do’ and leaving you standing at the altar.”

It was the second time that she had seen this softer side to this stoic fighter pilot.

Ruth did not consider waiting for a second. Her decision required no thinking.

Ask me! she shouted silently. Rather than propose to him, though, she took his hand and squeezed it.

He searched her deep brown eyes. She blinked, trying to chase her tears away.

“Or,” he paused, as if trying to read her mind, “we could get married before I leave.”

“Yes!” she blurted, lurching across the center console and the gear shift. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him long and hard.