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The bustling set of "Your Day America" slowly quieted down as Laura gracefully made her way off the stage. Her heels clicked against the polished floor, the noise fading away into the background as she sought a moment of respite. The bright studio lights had momentarily blinded her, and she craved some time alone, even if it was just 5 minutes as they turned to commercials.
With a practiced, graceful movement, Laura retrieved her phone from the depths of her suit jacket pocket. The familiar weight of the device reassured her as her nimble fingers danced across its smooth, cold surface. She swiftly toggled it off airplane mode, eager to reconnect with the world beyond the confines of the show. The moment her phone re-established its connection to the mobile tower, it came alive with a cacophony of notifications, each vying for her attention.
Her eyes widened in astonishment as the headlines from a multitude of news outlets materialized on the screen, each one delivering a thunderous shock that left her momentarily breathless. The titles alone bore an incredible weight, each one more incredulous than the last, and they pierced through her like arrows.
Bradley Jackson subbing in for Alex Levy on Hyperion One.
Those words appeared in bold, black letters, and Laura's world momentarily ground to a halt. Her heart thudded in her chest like a relentless drumbeat, its rhythm so pronounced that it threatened to burst through her ribcage. Her ex-girlfriend and the woman she still harbored complex, lingering emotions for, was launching herself into space. The gravity of this revelation washed over her like a tidal wave, and she struggled to come to terms with the staggering reality.
In the midst of the bustling studio, Laura found herself rooted to the spot. Her mind raced, and her body seemed frozen in time as she grappled with the sheer enormity of the situation. Panic tightened its grip around her chest as the thought of Bradley, the woman she had never truly stopped loving, venturing into the unfathomable depths of space took hold of her thoughts.
The mental image of Bradley, strapped securely within a sleek cylinder brimming with rocket fuel, hurtling through the inky void of the cosmos, filled her with an overwhelming sense of dread. It was a visceral reaction, an emotional rollercoaster that she had long thought she'd left behind. Yet here it was, crashing back into her life with the force of a supernova.
For a brief, disorienting moment, Laura stood at a crossroads, torn between her deep-seated concern for Bradley's safety and the labyrinth of emotions that had never truly subsided. Her pulse quickened, and her mind raced faster still, struggling to navigate the turbulent storm of feelings that had suddenly engulfed her. The news she had just received was beyond comprehension, and the realization that Bradley was voluntarily subjecting herself to such perilous danger left her profoundly shaken.
As Laura stood there, her world already rocked by the astonishing news about Bradley, another notification abruptly intruded on her racing thoughts. It was a voicemail—from Bradley. Her fingers trembled as she tapped the notification on her phone and lifted it to her ear, desperately needing to hear her voice.
"Hey, Laura."
Bradley's voice, familiar and hauntingly magnetic, surged through the phone's speaker, instantly resonating within Laura's chest. It was a voice that had always held the power to pierce through her defenses and reach her heart, and now, in this context, it hit her like a tidal wave. The gravity of the situation bore down on her, and Bradley's voice felt like a lifeline in the midst of the chaos.
"I'm sure you saw the news," Bradley continued, her tone carrying a mix of resignation and urgency. "Alex is doing me a favor and had to step out of the Hyperion One rocket. Cory is making me take her place."
Laura's throat tightened as she listened, her mind conjuring images of her killing Cory, but she quickly pushed aside, trying to focus on Bradley's words.
"You know UBA made Alex film an obit, just in case the rocket malfunctioned and killed the crew," Bradley revealed, her voice betraying a hint of vulnerability.
"She had time to say her goodbyes to the people she loved, to prepare them for the chance she may not come back."
Laura's heart sank further as she absorbed the weight of those words. The enormity of the situation was impossible to ignore, and the fact that Bradley was on the brink of boarding a rocket filled with such uncertainty was beyond unsettling.
"I am about to board the rocket," Bradley confessed, her voice softer now, laden with an unspoken yearning.
"And it got me thinking... I really don't have anyone in my life anymore. There is no one to prepare, no one who really deserves a personal goodbye. No one but you."
The weight of Bradley's words hung in the air, a poignant silence following her heartfelt confession. Laura clutched her phone tighter, tears clouding her vision as she absorbed the raw, unfiltered emotions in her voice.
"In case this thing goes south. In case I don't make it back..." Bradley's voice quivered, her vulnerability laid bare.
The reality of the situation, the perilous journey she was about to undertake, was etched in every word she spoke.
"I want you to know that my time with you was some of the happiest moments of my life."
Her voice held a bittersweet nostalgia, the memories of their time together flooding back into both of their minds.
"I've never really been loved before."
Bradley's admission was a raw confession, a painful truth laid bare and Laura's heart ached.
Bradley's voice lingered in Laura's ears, her words echoing through her heart like a haunting melody.
"And god--Laura, you loved me in a way I never thought was possible."
Tears spilled from Laura's eyes as Bradley's voice continued to pour forth from her phone, a mix of gratitude and vulnerability woven into every word.
"I just want to thank you," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "Thank you for being the light in my otherwise pretty dark life."
Bradley's voice, once again, filled the fragile silence that had settled around Laura.
"You know better than anyone how stubborn I can be," she admitted, her tone carrying a hint of self-awareness and a touch of humor. "It turns out launching yourself into space can really put things into perspective, even for someone as hard-headed as me."
"I don’t regret a lot in my life," Bradley began, her tone filled with introspection, "but one regret I will always have is not fighting harder for you."
Laura's breath caught in her throat, her own unspoken regrets echoing in the shadows of her heart. She had wrestled with the same sentiments for years, wondering what might have been if they had both been stronger, if they had fought for their love instead of letting it slip away.
As Bradley paused, a heavy silence filled the space, the weight of her words hanging in the air like a profound confession. Laura's heart ached as she listened, her voice drawing her further into the whirlpool of emotions that swirled around her.
Bradley's voice cracked with emotion as she uttered those heartfelt words, and the weight of them settled heavily on Laura's heart.
"I love you, Laura--I will always love you," she confessed, her voice filled with sincerity and a touch of desperation.
"I'm sorry it took me literally launching myself into space to admit that.”