When she arrived home, her dad was in the living room waiting for her.
When she walked into the house he stood up and gave her an anxious look.
"So.how did it go?"
"It went alright. How was your night?"
"Oh pretty boring. I called Guile and talked to him about tomorrow."
The fact that Guile was going with her dad made Cammy feel a little bit better. She knew that they watched out for each other.
"That's good, what about Jane and Melissa?"
"Oh they're pretty upset about it, but they understand. Guile is going to be leading the operation so given the circumstances, he's pretty excited."
She was listening to her dad but could only concentrate on the tears that were beginning to develop in her eyes. When she knew she could not hold on any longer, she burst into sobbing tears.
"Oh Dad, I'm so sorry. I was trying to be strong but I just can't do it. I know this mission is different, I see it in your eyes. And I'm scared that something is going to happen to you or to Guile or both of you, and I don't know what I would do without you."
"Cammy come here"
She ran into her father's arms and buried her tear-streaked face into his strong chest. It felt so good to be held by him. He rubbed his hands up and down her back.
"I'm going to tell you something. This guy we are going after is a big deal. If we don't stop him soon he could threaten our whole way of life. He could literally take over the world; all he needs is the opportunity. We want to stop him before he gets the chance he needs."
Cammy stayed in her father's embrace as she spoke to him.
"But what if you don't come back? What would I do then?"
Saying this had caused her to bust into uncontrollable tears once again. Her father let go of her.
"Look at me."
She raised her head and looked into his eyes, her own eyes. He then reached into his shirt and pulled out his Air Force tags.
"I want you to take these and hold them for me. Keep them with you the whole time I am gone because I am going to come back to get them from you when this is all over."
She could see in his determined eyes that he was telling the truth, that he would come back.
"Okay Dad, I believe you."
And she took the tags from his hands and placed them around her neck. She watched him, as he looked her up and down. She knew her eyes were puffy and red from crying and that her hair was totally out of place if not all over the place.
"I must look a mess huh?"
"No you look beautiful, just let me fix your hair for you."
"Dad, you haven't braided my hair since I was seven."
"I know just let me do it, okay?"
Cammy smiled at him and quickly ran upstairs to find a brush. She then sat on his lap, just like when she was little, and let him unbraid, untangle and re-braid her hair. It felt so good to be with her father like that again, even if it was going to be just for tonight. After that she spent the whole night just talking and joking around with here dad. She fell asleep in his arms gripping his tags in her hand. He never slept though. He just watched her sleep until it was time for him to leave. Before he left, He placed a picture of him and Cammy in his uniform pocket and kissed her on the forehead. He whispered to her,
"I'm doing this for you babygirl. I love you with all my heart."
"So.how did it go?"
"It went alright. How was your night?"
"Oh pretty boring. I called Guile and talked to him about tomorrow."
The fact that Guile was going with her dad made Cammy feel a little bit better. She knew that they watched out for each other.
"That's good, what about Jane and Melissa?"
"Oh they're pretty upset about it, but they understand. Guile is going to be leading the operation so given the circumstances, he's pretty excited."
She was listening to her dad but could only concentrate on the tears that were beginning to develop in her eyes. When she knew she could not hold on any longer, she burst into sobbing tears.
"Oh Dad, I'm so sorry. I was trying to be strong but I just can't do it. I know this mission is different, I see it in your eyes. And I'm scared that something is going to happen to you or to Guile or both of you, and I don't know what I would do without you."
"Cammy come here"
She ran into her father's arms and buried her tear-streaked face into his strong chest. It felt so good to be held by him. He rubbed his hands up and down her back.
"I'm going to tell you something. This guy we are going after is a big deal. If we don't stop him soon he could threaten our whole way of life. He could literally take over the world; all he needs is the opportunity. We want to stop him before he gets the chance he needs."
Cammy stayed in her father's embrace as she spoke to him.
"But what if you don't come back? What would I do then?"
Saying this had caused her to bust into uncontrollable tears once again. Her father let go of her.
"Look at me."
She raised her head and looked into his eyes, her own eyes. He then reached into his shirt and pulled out his Air Force tags.
"I want you to take these and hold them for me. Keep them with you the whole time I am gone because I am going to come back to get them from you when this is all over."
She could see in his determined eyes that he was telling the truth, that he would come back.
"Okay Dad, I believe you."
And she took the tags from his hands and placed them around her neck. She watched him, as he looked her up and down. She knew her eyes were puffy and red from crying and that her hair was totally out of place if not all over the place.
"I must look a mess huh?"
"No you look beautiful, just let me fix your hair for you."
"Dad, you haven't braided my hair since I was seven."
"I know just let me do it, okay?"
Cammy smiled at him and quickly ran upstairs to find a brush. She then sat on his lap, just like when she was little, and let him unbraid, untangle and re-braid her hair. It felt so good to be with her father like that again, even if it was going to be just for tonight. After that she spent the whole night just talking and joking around with here dad. She fell asleep in his arms gripping his tags in her hand. He never slept though. He just watched her sleep until it was time for him to leave. Before he left, He placed a picture of him and Cammy in his uniform pocket and kissed her on the forehead. He whispered to her,
"I'm doing this for you babygirl. I love you with all my heart."