Prepare

Prepare

Maverick heads over to Sydney’s apartment after being invited for dinner.

Having his sister back into his life means the world to him.

Saying goodbye when he left for the Navy was the hardest thing he had to do.

She isn’t just his twin or sibling, she’s his best friend.

He felt awful for breaking the promise to Sydney to go to college together.

But serving in the military was always his lifelong dream.

And after the accident, he lost his one and only dream and didn’t know how to face that.

So he hid.

When Maverick reaches Sydney’s apartment he rings the bell and waits.

Is it weird that he’s a little nervous?

Time changes people, and it’s been two years since he spent any time with her.

Sydney is a senior in college now and he’s been serving for six years.

A smiling Sydney greets him and leads him up to her apartment.

He assumed they were just going out but instead finds Sydney and her roommates cooking.

Everyone is welcoming as they find their seats around the kitchen table.

As they eat conversation flows more easily than Maverick expected.  

He missed this, this normalcy.

For the past two years, he mostly locked himself in his girlfriend’s apartment, beating himself up.

After dinner, Sydney grabs a board game and puts on one of their old favorite movies.

Maverick likes that it feels like time never passed.

It gets late and Maverick says he is ready to head back to his girlfriend’s place.

“I want to let you know I texted Mom to let her know that I am coming home for the weekend.”

Maverick nods, feeling like he is not prepared for this homecoming.