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Waverly leaned her forearms against the railing overlooking the water that reflected back the warm reds and oranges of the sunset. Her eyes never left the ships as they came and went. It seemed neverending parade. Boats, catamarans, and sailboats would dock in the port, but the Naval ships always dropped anchor, and smaller vessels brought the sailors to shore.
The dish rag that was slung over her shoulder began to slip, but Waverly caught it before it slipped into the calm water below. She couldn’t believe this was where life had taken her. She was thrilled to be working with her sister, Wynonna, at her pub, The Navy Seal, which was as ridiculous as it sounded. Above the door to the pub was a hanging sign of a drunken seal with a crooked sailor hat and nautical bandana holding an overflowing beer. Waverly thought she was destined for more than a barback, but she was here, so maybe she wasn’t or maybe this was only a temporary landing before she soared.
This had been her life ever since she broke up with her ex, Champ. Wynonna said she was welcome to come work with her at the pub for as long as she wanted. Waverly told her sister she would only need a few months to get back on her feet.
That was five years ago.
Waverly has fallen into a comfortable routine where she goes to work with Wynonna and listens to all the wonderful stories the fishermen and Naval officers have to share about their travels and experiences. She goes home in the early morning, sleeps most of her day away, and does it all again the next night.
Not a lot of soaring. She was looking for something to change her whole world.
“Waves?”
She turned as the voice of her sister called out, “Yeah, Nona?”
“Shift’s about to start. Let’s get ‘er ready to open. Looks like it’ll be a busy night with those Naval ships anchored out there.”
Waverly turned and squinted as the sun was about to sink below the horizon. Her eyes fell on the two large silhouettes of Naval ships out in the distance.
“Yup,” she said under her breath, “It’s gonna be a long night.”
Waverly sighed as she turned and headed towards Wynonna, who was holding the back door open for her. She trudged into the pub, slightly dragging her feet as she knew exactly how her night would go. Every night has been the same for the last five years. Why should tonight be any different?
***
The pub was pretty quiet, filled with a bunch of their regular customers. That was until the Naval sailors burst through the doors.
The noise increased dramatically as the sailors lined up at the bar for drinks, played billiards, threw darts, and were generally just having a good time on land with their buddies.
The sisters were short staffed since the last employee they had went off to college. It took them a little while to get the crowd under control. Once things had calmed down, they took a breather. Minutes later, a young man timidly stepped up to the bar. He was sporting a navy blue sweatshirt with ‘Navy’ printed in white across his chest.
“What can I get ya?” Waverly asked him as she wiped the bar down in front of him.
“Could I get four beers, please?” he answered quietly.
“What?” Waverly asked as she leaned towards him to hear him over the noise of the pub, “What was that?”
“Four beers please!” he said louder.
“Four beers. You got it! Want me to bring it to your table?” Waverly asked as she started pulling our draft beer glasses.
“That would be great!” the shy man replied, “I’m over in the corner there with the blonde.”
Waverly looked up to where he was pointing, “Alright. I’ll have this over there in a few minutes. What’s your name? I can get a tab opened up for you.”
“My name is Jeremy,” he replied with a friendly smile.
Waverly couldn’t help but smile back, “I’m Waverly. Nice to meet you, Jeremy.”
He gave her one last smile before disappearing into the sea of people and inching his way back towards the safety of his table. Waverly chuckled to herself as she noticed his hands in his pockets and tried to make himself as small as possible as to not bump into anyone.
Waverly got all four drinks filled and onto a drink tray. She expertly hoisted it with one hand as she simultaneously yelled for people to get out of her way as she made her way to the furthest table in the pub.
When she arrived at the table, Jeremy and a blonde woman were looking towards the darts and were laughing at whatever they had witnessed.
“Here are your drinks,” Waverly said as she slid the tray onto the table.
“Thanks, Waverly!” Jeremy said as he wrapped his hands around the cold beer.
“Thanks!” the blonde replied, “I’m Eliza.”
“Waverly,” she said with her classic smile and wave. “Looking to have a good time off the ship, huh?”
The pair looked down and quickly understood how it must look. Two people, four huge beers. They both broke out laughing.
“Our two friends are extremely competitive and got into the classic argument of who is better at darts,” Jeremy explained, “We choose to stay out of the way. They get way too competitive for me!”
“Same here. Good thing they have each other to get crazy with,” Eliza said with a chuckle.
Waverly glanced over towards the darts, but had no idea who she would even be looking for. There were two teams of two guys playing, an old fisherman and his wife, an African American man, and a tall woman with vibrant red hair.
If Waverly had to guess, the latter were the competitive friends of the people in front of her.
When the duo made their way over to the table, Waverly silently patted herself on the back for being able to successfully guess.
The pair appeared to be bickering back and forth about who actually won the dart game.
“Dolls, Haught- this is Waverly,” Jeremy interrupted, drawing their attention away from each other.
“Hey, Waverly! I’m sure we will become fast friends over the course of this evening! Especially if you keep bringing beers over!” Dolls said with more excitement than Waverly suspected he normally showed, judging by the looks on Jeremy and Eliza’s faces.
“Dolls, all your happiness is going to scare the gorgeous woman away,” the redhead said with a wink in Waverly’s direction.
Waverly felt her face instantly flush as a result of the flirting from the woman. This surprised her. She was used to blatant flirting from men and women throughout the years, but there was something about this woman that made Waverly take notice.
“I’m Nicole. Nicole Haught,” the woman said as she offered her hand towards Waverly.
Waverly took it without thought, and was surprised to find the woman’s hand to be warm and soft. Her hand fit in Nicole’s perfectly. Waverly caught the slight look of surprise on the woman’s face before she schooled her face.
“Waverly,” she said.
“Waverly,” she saw Nicole say softly under her breath as if she was committing this moment to memory.
Waverly reluctantly removed her hand from the warmth of Nicole’s firm grip. It seemed like Nicole felt the same reluctance if the look on her face was anything to go by.
Neither woman noticed the looks exchanged between the three friends at the table.
Dolls cleared his throat, bringing the women back to the present. “So, Waverly, you see some interesting things working here, huh?”
Waverly smirked, “Mostly cocky Navy sailors who think they are all that.”
“Damn Dolls, she’s got you all figured out after three minutes!” Nicole laughed.
He glared back at his friend, smacking her on the arm.
Waverly chuckled at the bond between the two friends.
“Waves!”
Waverly turned her head back to the bar, noticing Wynonna drowning in orders, “Wanna come help your sister out?”
“I better get back to it. It was nice to meet you all,” Waverly said as she turned to leave. Her eyes meet Nicole’s before returning to the bar.
Nicole stared dreamily after her.
“Uh oh.”
Nicole turned at the sound of Eliza’s voice.
“Looks like Nicole has a wee crush,” she teased.
Nicole narrowed her eyes at her friend, “It’s not a crush!”
“Not yet,” Eliza replied with a sing-song tone.
“Even if I did, we leave tomorrow. Not everyone can handle the demands of dating a Navy Commander because of that very reason,” Nicole said as she watched Waverly lay whiskey down for several sailors lined up at the bar. One of them said something to make her laugh. Nicole had sailed many exotic places, but she had never seen a smile as captivating as Waverly’s. “It’s just not the right time.”
The three friends exchanged a glance. Nicole avoided doing things where she wouldn’t get too personally involved, especially when it came to women. They had never seen her so mesmerized by someone in such a short amount of time.
“That’s true, Nic, but what if something could come from this? A friendship, at least?” Eliza asked softly.
Jeremy chimed in, “You know there are ways to communicate while we’re at sea or another port, Nic. Email, phone calls, FaceTime… It would give you time to get to know one another.”
Nicole looked back towards the bar and was surprised to see a pair of stunning hazel eyes looking back at her. Nicole saw the blush spread across Waverly’s cheeks from across the room. Waverly looked away quickly, almost as if to hide the blush.
In that instant, Nicole knew she wanted to get to know the woman behind the bar better. She turned back to the table, “I guess we’ll see how this unfolds. If it doesn’t go well, I’m blaming all three of you.”
The three friends erupted in cheers, causing Nicole to laugh at their enthusiasm.
Over the course of the next hour, Nicole continued to meet Waverly’s eyes. She took a deep breath and finally made her way over to the bar. Nicole leaned on her forearms against the rounded edge of the wooden bar top, waiting for Waverly to come over to her.
“What can I get you, sailor?” Waverly asked as she wiped her hands off on her towel.
“Can you lay a whiskey shot down for me?” Nicole asked.
Waverly arched an eyebrow, “Just one shot?”
“Yes, please. That should be enough.”
Waverly looked at her quizzically, “Should be enough for what?”
Nicole made a ‘bring it on’ motion with her hands, which made Waverly roll her eyes playfully at the woman.
Waverly filled one shot full of whiskey and slid it in front of Nicole, who downed it almost faster than she’d seen Wynonna do. Waverly might have been impressed.
Nicole gritted her teeth at the sting of the amber liquid sliding down her throat with ease. Her fists clenched for a moment as she composed herself. She looked back up at Waverly, who had a questioning look in her eyes.
Well, here goes nothing.
“Are you doing anything after your shift is over?” Nicole rushed out.
Waverly had secretly hoped Nicole would ask her this, but the rational part of her brain knew that nothing else could come of this. Perhaps a friendship? Nicole was in the Navy, and that meant she would be off at sea for lengths of time. Waverly knew the basics of how the Navy worked. She had watched for five years, sailors and commanders come and go overnight.
The longer the silence went on, she saw Nicole’s eyes fall at the lack of a response. Waverly could not stand to watch this stunning being do anything but smile. Without another thought, Waverly smiled and shook her head.
Nicole smiled. “What time are you finished?”
As Waverly opened her mouth to respond, Wynonna sidled up to her, seemingly out of nowhere. “She’s free now.”
Waverly looked at her sister, “There’s still a few more hours until the pub closes.”
Wynonna nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders, “Yeah, but the worst of the rush is done. Look for yourself.”
Waverly looked around, and noticed that the bar had cleared out quite a bit from just twenty minutes ago. She spun Wynonna around, so that their backs were to Nicole.
“Are you sure, Nona? I don’t have to leave quite yet.”
Wynonna wrapped her arm around her baby sister’s shoulders, “Waves, a hot redhead wants to spend time with you before she heads back out to sea tomorrow. Go and do whatever it is that kids do these days. You deserve it.”
“Thanks,” Waverly said quietly. “You sure you’ll be okay?”
Wynonna turned around quickly and shoved Waverly gently in Nicole’s direction, “She’s all yours, Red. Take care of her, or you’ll have to answer to me.” Wynonna said that last part with what appeared to be her attempt at a threatening stare. It just looked like she was constipated.
Before Nicole could respond, Waverly groaned. “Seriously, Nona? I’m some little kid anymore. You don’t have to threaten the people who I am out with.”
Waverly grabbed her jacket off the hook behind the bar, and rushed around to Nicole.
“Let’s get going and please ignore my sister. She had some sort of brain injury as a kid and doesn’t know how to act appropriately in public. I’ve tried to help her, but so far, nothing seems to help.”
Nicole went wide-eyed, “Did she really have a brain injury?”
“No,” Waverly replied, “but sometimes it sure feels like she did.”
Wynonna grinned as the pair walked out together and said under her breath, “Maybe this time, baby girl. Maybe this time…”
***
Once Waverly was outside, she took a deep breath and inhaled the salty taste of the sea. Her eyes closed as the familiar scent reached her nose. It was a scent that always relaxed her after a long night of being stuck inside the bar.
Waverly looked towards Nicole and saw her staring gently back.
“Ready?” Waverly asked.
Nicole nodded with a smile.
The two women walked side by side, not touching, as they walked down the quiet streets. It seemed as if they were the only two people awake.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone to walk these streets with me,” Waverly said quietly. “I’ve walked these streets every night for the past five years, and every single time I did it alone.”
Nicole looked at her, waiting for Waverly to continue.
“Looking back on things, it seems I’ve spent a lot of my time alone. I have my sister, Wynonna, of course, but even when I had a partner or someone I wanted to share my life with, this was something I always did alone. No matter where I lived.”
“It’s like the whole city is yours,” Nicole replied.
Waverly stopped and looked at Nicole. Really looked at her. She can’t remember the last time, including Wynonna, when anyone truly understood her.
“Yes,” Waverly sighed. “It’s like this moment was made just for me. I feel so privileged to be able to see the world through a whole different lens than the hustle and bustle of the day. The night has always relaxed me and made me feel more connected to my surroundings.”
“I feel that same way when I am at different ports or a different city. I like to take in the energy that that particular place puts off. Everywhere is different. This one definitely has to be in the top five. Easy.”
Waverly looked over at Nicole, who had a smirk on her face as she said the last part. “Only the top five?” Waverly asked.
“How about I’ll let you know when the night ends?” Nicole said. “As much as I don’t want it to.”
Waverly blushed at Nicole’s words. She had spent a total of about fifteen minutes with this woman, and Waverly was enthralled. She wanted to know everything about this woman before she had to leave.
“How long do we have?” Waverly asked, needing to come back to reality a bit.
“The ships sail at 1300 hours, but I have to be back at 1200 since I’m a Commander.”
Waverly arched an eyebrow at Nicole, “A Commander, huh? Are you good at what you do?”
Nicole chuckled. The streetlights revealed the blush creeping up Nicole’s neck. Waverly felt quite proud of herself for causing the woman to react that way.
“I’m assuming I’m doing well, considering my destroyer is one of the highest ranked in the region. I think I might be doing something right. I was promoted about a year ago. I was at the top of my class in just about everything. My Captain came and spoke to me, personally, about promoting me and taking on more responsibility within two years. When he and I last spoke, he was impressed with my progress, and there is talk of me leading and commanding a SEAL team, which is a huge honor.”
“Wow. You are quite impressive, Commander Haught.”
Nicole ducked her head at the praise, “I just do what I need to do. Some situations can be a matter of life or death, and I want to be as prepared as I can be. I feel so honored to have so many sailors have their trust in me to lead them and bring them home to their loved ones at the end of our deployments. There is no higher honor.”
“That’s amazing, Nicole. Definitely makes a barback seem so unimportant in comparison.”
Nicole stopped in her tracks. Waverly turned around to meet fiery eyes looking back at her.
“Don’t you do that, Waves. Do not sell yourself short. Is the job a glamorous one? Depends who you ask, but tonight I saw more smiles and joy in that pub tonight than I have in a year. Our job is not glamorous either. There are things we must do in order to protect our own. It is a dangerous job, and there are things we see that keep us up at night. There are pieces of us missing, both in our hearts and quite literally. The joy you brought my sailors tonight is something I could never give them. You brought smiles to their faces and gave them a memory that could be a booster for them when they need to fight. Seeing a beautiful woman, like yourself, raised the spirits and morality of my crew, and for that, I will always be indebted to you. You made a difference tonight.”
Waverly was speechless. She had never had someone speak as openly and honestly directly to her as Nicole just did.
Nicole took a step closer to Waverly, “Has no one been so direct with you? About anything?”
Waverly shook her head as Nicole took another step forward, which put her directly in front of the brunette. Waverly looked up into Nicole’s deep, soulful eyes. She swore she saw Nicole’s eyes flit to her lips.
The next thing she knew was Nicole was leaning down.
Oh my god. Nicole is going to kiss me!
Waverly’s inner self was squealing in delight. Just as their lips were about to touch, a loud crash sounded in the alley just off to their right.
Both women looked towards the sound and saw a large, round tabby cat staring back at them with wide yellow eyes. It was standing on top of a large dumpster, looking down at the small, metal trash can that now lay on its side. The contents of the smaller trash can were strewn about the alley.
Waverly scoffed, “That tabby is such a calamity!”
Both women broke out into laughter. Nicole offered her elbow for Waverly to take, which she did without hesitation.
They continued their walk through town until the sun started to rise. Waverly took Nicole to her favorite place for breakfast. They spent the rest of the morning together, talking and getting to know one another. Nicole told Waverly about her sailor stories, and Waverly shared her stories about growing up, reconnecting with Wynonna, and how she was almost done earning her masters in linguistics.
Noon was approaching faster than either woman would have liked, and Waverly had no idea where this would leave them. They talked about anything and everything in the last ten hours. Waverly definitely did not want to lose touch with Nicole. She decided to be brave.
“So, how would one stay in contact with a dashing Naval Commander who is about to deploy for who knows how many months?” Waverly asked as she gently bumped Nicole’s shoulder.
“Why Miss Earp, are you asking me for my number?” Nicole asked in her best Southern drawl.
“Number, email, whatever keeps me in contact with you. That’s what I want,” Waverly said with all the courage she could.
Nicole held her hand out for Waverly’s phone. She entered her phone number and email address.
“You can reach me at both, but honestly, email would be the best bet. Sometimes it's extremely hard to have cell service. Sometimes when we are in ports, we can make calls, but email is the easiest way to communicate when we are out at sea.”
“Any idea how long this deployment will last?” Waverly asked.
“I wish I could definitively say. Usually, deployments last anywhere from 18-24 months.”
Waverly’s heart dropped at the thought of not seeing Nicole again for two years. Then her heart dropped even more at the thought of not having Nicole in her life at all. There were at least options for them to communicate, and that had to be enough for Waverly.
For now.
“I know we just met, Waves, but I feel like we mean something to one another. I know I have no right to ask you this, but I would like to see where this goes. I feel like if that darn calamity wouldn’t have scared us, we would have kissed. Are you feeling the same?”
Waverly nodded her head with a smile, “I definitely feel the same. I want to see where this goes. If it can go anywhere with the distance between us. I think it’s worth a try.”
Nicole smiled so hard that both of her dimples made an appearance. Before she had any idea what was happening, she felt Waverly’s lips collide with hers. The smaller woman wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed her. It had been quite some time since Nicole had been kissed anywhere near that good. When Waverly pulled back, it was much too soon for Nicole’s liking. Unfortunately, they were out of time. The sailors had started heading back towards the destroyers anchored out against the horizon.
Nicole leaned her forehead against Waverly’s. “Don’t forget me,” she whispered.
“I won’t remember anything else,” Waverly said quietly.
With a kiss to Waverly’s forehead, Nicole turned and walked away.
***
The first couple months that Nicole was deployed, the communication was fairly consistent. Nicole was right. Email was the best and easiest way of getting a hold of one another. Waverly sent one email and usually had a response later that same day.
About five months into Nicole’s deployment, Waverly received a small package in the mail. When she opened it, she couldn’t believe what she found inside. Waverly read the card enclosed with the gift and stated that the braided chain was made with the finest silver from the north of Spain. It was a heart locket that had a photo of Nicole on one side and the Navy logo on the other. She stepped outside the pub and called Nicole.
Voicemail.
“Hey, Nic! I got your gift. The necklace is beautiful. I can’t wait to send you a photo! I have no intention of taking it off. Um- I hope you are doing well. I miss you. Be safe.”
Waverly hung up the call. She held the phone against her lips.
What was she doing?
She was trying to have a relationship with a woman who was worlds away and not available. Did she really want to wait for someone she shared one kiss with?
Waverly sighed and went back in to start her shift.
***
Hours later, after her shift had ended, Waverly found herself walking the familiar streets alone. The entire town was silent. All the bars and pubs were closed, and people were asleep.
Waverly found herself thinking of that night often. She walked these streets almost every night, which made her think of Nicole and the wonderful time they shared.
Waverly started to have doubts.
Was this really a feasible option? Could they make anything substantial last? Or was this a case of the wrong time, wrong place?
Maybe all her and Nicole would share is that fleeting moment in time. Waverly looked down at her phone. There were no phone calls, no FaceTime attempts, and no new emails in response to the one she sent hours ago.
During these six months of communicating strictly through technology, Waverly felt she knew Nicole Haught pretty well. She doesn’t recall a time in her life where she used email so much, but the hole that Nicole had made in her heart never seemed to be full. Loneliness filled her heart instead of happiness. The loneliness Waverly felt from knowing someone without knowing them was starting to be too much.
Waverly thought she had really found her person, but will bad timing be the downfall of the path of potential soulmates?
***
18 months, 3 weeks, and 4 days later…
Waverly had pretty much given up on ever seeing or hearing from Nicole Haught again.
The last time she had heard anything from Nicole was six months ago. She had chalked their amazing night up to what it was- an amazing night spent with an amazing woman.
Nothing more.
Nicole Haught was not her soulmate. She was just a small chance encounter that Waverly experienced in her life.
It was Christmas Eve, and the pub was busy as it was every year at this time. Wynonna attempted to decorate, but it looked as sad as Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree did. There were some lights strung up around the pub, and some snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. It was a sad, pathetic attempt at sharing holiday cheer in this small harbor town.
Waverly looked up and saw some familiar faces over at a table she tried to avoid.
Eliza and Jeremy were already looking her way and offered a small wave in acknowledgement.
Waverly smiled at them in return, continuing to serve the patrons sitting at the bar. She didn’t want them to come over because if they did, Waverly would ask questions about a particular someone, and she did not want to know the answers.
Waverly heard the door to the pub open, and she hollered out, “Welcome to the Navy Seal! Someone will be with you shortly!”
Barely audible above the noise of the pub, Waverly heard, “Take your time.”
She turned slowly and came face to face with the eyes she had been dreaming about for a year and a half. Waverly felt her world completely stop, especially considering the fact that Nicole was wearing her Navy Dress Uniform.
Waverly suddenly became very thirsty, but that was not the main focus here.
What was Nicole suddenly doing in her sister’s pub after all this time?
When Nicole started making her way towards Waverly, the first thing Waverly noticed was the cane that Nicole was using to walk. The second thing she noticed was the limp Nicole had that most definitely wasn’t there before.
Waverly may have been hurt and upset about being forgotten, but she wasn’t an asshole.
Once Nicole made it to the bar, Waverly immediately asked, “Are you okay? What happened?”
Nicole tried to ease the tension of the situation, “You’re still talking to me, so does that mean you’re not mad at me?”
Waverly glared at her.
Nicole held her hands up, “Okay, okay, I deserved that. Yes, I’m fine now. I got third degree burns up and down my leg from a fire set in another ship by another sailor. I went in to help, and, well, nearly lost my leg due to severe burns. I was in the hospital for months as they tried to repair my leg the best they could. I’ll have a limp the rest of my life, but I still have both my legs.”
Waverly eyed her cautiously.
“I understand the skepticism, but Waverly, please understand- if I had any way of getting in touch with you, I would have. I was so doped up on pain medication that I was barely awake during my hospital stay. Once I was stable enough from the hospital, I went straight into physical therapy to get some strength back in my leg. I had no computer access while going through rehab. I had no cell phone. Nothing. The thing that pushed me through the tough days was you. I was never happier than I was with you, Waves. I can’t imagine what you went through these last six months. It must look awful, but I promise I am here now. I’m not going anywhere.”
Waverly looked down at the rag she twisted around in her hands, “You’re here until your next deployment. Then what?”
Waverly missed the smile that grew on Nicole’s face.
“I don’t have another deployment.”
Waverly’s eyes shot up to meet Nicole’s warm eyes, “What?”
“I don’t have another deployment,” Nicole said. “I have been medically discharged from the Navy because of this injury. I cannot perform my duties as I once could.”
At this point, Waverly felt the eyes of the entire pub on them. She wasn’t sure if this was a dream.
Was Nicole really here to stay?
“Are you here for real? Or are you leaving again? Because I don’t think I could stand you leaving again, Nicole. The first time was enough for me. I can’t go through that again.”
Nicole started walking towards the edge of the bar. Waverly as if hypnotized by Nicole’s movements, mirrored her movements.
When they both reached the edge of the bar, Nicole replied, “As long as you want me, I’ll be by your side.”
Waverly felt the tears spill from her eyes and run down her cheeks.
There was a loud cheer coming from the table Waverly had been avoiding. Eliza and Jeremy were cheering for them as was Wynonna, who somehow got over to that table without detection.
Waverly laughed and looked back at Nicole, who gently wiped her tears away.
Nicole cupped Waverly’s face, “What do you say about giving us a real chance? You are my person, Waverly Earp. I don’t want to miss out on another minute with you.”
Before Waverly could answer, the clock chimed. It was now Christmas Day.
Waverly looked at Nicole, really looked at her. “Do right people with wrong timing ever get a second try?”
Nicole’s eyes softened as she looked at Waverly, “Yes. If they didn’t, I wouldn’t have found my way back to you.”
Waverly looked at Nicole as if she had put the stars in the sky just for her. She leaned forward and kissed the woman who had captured her with one glance.
Waverly pulled back just enough to whisper in Nicole’s ear, “Do you get to keep the uniform?”
Nicole laughed and it was music to Waverly’s ears, “Yes, I get to keep the uniform.”
Waverly smiled against Nicole, “Good. Merry Christmas to me.”