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“I’ll hate missing you.” Honest. No pretending. “But I won’t ask you to shrink your career so I can be comfortable.”

My throat tightens. “What if it gets hard?”

“It will.”

“You sound confident.”

“Long distance is work.”

“Deployment experience?”

His expression changes slightly. “Yes.”

I don’t push. He continues. “You communicate. You plan. You don’t manufacture drama because you’re scared.”

I squint. “That last one felt targeted.”

“It was.”

“I have matured.”

“You skipped lunch to test me last week.”

“Historical events.”

“Recent history.”

I poke his side. Christopher catches my wrist. His eyebrow rises.

I grin. “Still testing your reflexes.”

“No.”

“Scoping dangerous terrain.”

“Dangerous terrain.”

My pulse jumps. I like that look. Too much.

He lets go slowly. “Focus.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Contract.”

“Rude.”

Two hours later, we have a plan. I email my manager. I ask for adjusted travel days. Protected flight-training dates through my checkride. Limits on sponsor streams during travel weeks. Two guaranteed recovery days after international events. Christopher proofreads it and suggests changes.

My heart pounds when I press send.

Christopher watches. “Done?”

“Done.”

“How do you feel?”

“Like I just told a dragon I have notes on its fire-breathing technique.”