The Maroon Beret

-Charlie-
I take a deep breath and stare out at the ice. I’ve been in this stadium so many times. I’ve been skating on this ice before. But for some reason, I’m more nervous than I’ve ever been.

“Charlie, you look amazing.” Lauren Hart says, giving me a big hug. I stare down at my Air Force uniform, my new medals of honor glistening on my chest.
“I’m so nervous, Lauren.” I admit. She laughs.

“You have no reason to be nervous. This city loves to recognize members of the military. And over the past couple of months, this city has gown to absolutely love you personally. I’ve had so many people come up to me and ask when you would be escorting me, it’s crazy. As much as they love our boys and look up to them, you’ve become an inspiration to them. As a local Philadelphian and as Sean’s future wife, they’ve accepted you into their hearts faster than anyone I’ve ever seen before.”

“I guess you’re right.” I say, fidgeting with the button on my shirt.
“We still have about ten minutes to pass. Tell me what all of your medals are. I love learning about new ones.” She says.

“Well, these two are purple hearts.” I say, pointing to two of my newest ones.
“I’ve seen them before. They’re for being wounded, right?”

“Yeah. One for being shot, and one for... the accident.” I respond. I still don’t really talk about it with anyone, even Sean. I know he wants me to open up to him, but it’s just not something I’m ready to share yet.
“Okay, what are the others?”

“These two blue ribbons are called ‘Air Force Overseas’ ribbons. The one with the stars is for a short tour, which was my last one. And the one without the stars is for a long tour, which was my first. This multi-colored one is an ‘Afghanistan Campaign Medal’ which basically just means I’ve been deployed to Afghanistan.”

“I’ve seen those before too.” She says. “These other three, though, I don’t recognize.”

“The light blue one with the yellow and black stripes is called an ‘Airman’s Medal’ and it’s for a heroic act that goes above and beyond the normal duties of the job. I got that one for the school bombing, since it was such a massive attack. The dark blue medal with the white stars is a generic medal of honor, given for an act of bravery. I got that one for running through one of the most dangerous terrains in Afghanistan to save an American Marine’s life. And finally this maroon one is called a ‘Legion of Merit’ medal. It’s given to anyone who they think conducted themselves in a distinguished manner. I got it for keeping everyone in my humvee calm when we got attacked on the way to the Air Force base the first time we tried to come home.”

I finish explaining my medals and look back at Lauren, who has tears in the corners of her eyes.

“I’m always amazed by the people who escort me. But you, Charlie. You amaze me beyond belief. I’m so glad you’re a member of the Flyers family.” She hugs me and at that moment one of the crew people motion for us to get ready. Surprisingly, I’m not as nervous as I was ten minutes ago. I can do this.

Lou Nolan’s voice echoes throughout stadium and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please rise so that Lauren Hart can sing God Bless America. Escorting Lauren tonight is a member of the United States Air Force who is very special to the Philadelphia Flyers organization. Please join us in welcoming home Senior Airman Charlotte Coleman.”

I step out onto the carpet behind Lauren and the crowd goes crazy. Way more than they normally do for these introductions. I look into the stands and people are on their feet cheering for me. Lauren turns to face me and smiles at me, holding off on singing so that the fans can give me my moment. There are tears in my eyes, and I don't even try to hold them back. She was right, this city has accepted me into their hearts.

I look over to the bench and I see Sean watching me with a huge smile on his face.
‘I love you.’ He mouths to me. I send him a smile in return.

Eventually the crowd settles down and Lauren begins singing. Half way through, the recording of Kate Smith joins her, and a minute later she’s done. I breathe a sigh of relief that I made it through that, and start to turn to head back down the tunnel.

“Charlie.” Lauren calls. I turn back around. “You’re not done yet.” She says with a smile.
I look at her confused, but she only grabs my arm and leads me up to the front of the carpet where it meets the ice.

The fans can tell that this is going to be different than normal, and I see most of the ones who are close by taking out their phones to record what's about to happen.

Led by their captain, every member of the Flyers comes skating over to me one by one and hands me a single white rose. Most of them kiss me on the cheek or the forehead as well. By the time they’re almost done, I have nearly two dozen roses in my arms. At the very end of the line is Sean who, instead of holding a white rose, is holding a red one.

“I love you so much.” He says, picking up the bunch of roses from my arms and handing them over to Lauren. He reaches back for me and pulls me into a mind-blowing kiss. He's a lot taller than me since he's in skates so he has to crouch down and the crowd’s roars are deafening, but none of that matters to me since all I can think about is Sean’s lips on mine. Too soon, he pulls away and looks into my eyes, resting his forehead against mine.

“I love you too.” I say with a smile. “Now go score me a goal and win this game.”
“As you wish.”