Chapter 34: Dreams First Before Me

Somewhere far away from Lisa's house. Nina sits down in the kitchen staring at the window and stargazing as she always does at night.

"I wonder what those kids are doing." Nina stares at the night sky as the star glimmered in her eyes. Dean enters the room holding two cups of coffee. Dean hands Nina the coffee. She smiled and accepted it.

"You know they are adults now. They can handle themselves." Dean sat down to join Nina in the table.

Nina smiled "I'm just sad that they didn't invite me to their slumber party ugh! I wanted to go you know." She says in a childish tone.

"I feel like it would be weird for them to invite the school nurse to join them for a slumber party." Dean drank from his cup of coffee.

"I guess you're right... It would feel weird to have me in there..." Nina grabs her coffee cup as she put her lips in the cup. The hot coffee touches her lips making her take the cup away immediately and make a hurt face.

"Are you okay?" Dean stands up to check Nina's lip.

"I'm fine... but a kiss would probably make my lips all better." Nina slyly winks at Dean.

"No. If you're better then that's good." Dean responds giving Nina a smirk making Nina pout. "You don't even kiss me or hug me outside. Now you won't even do it when we're alone."

"It's just that I don't like physical contact that much that's all." Dean leaned forward and kissed Nina in the forehead.

Nina blushed and smiled from ear to ear like a puppy receiving her award. "YAY, THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME."

"You know. With how you act and sound. I would be really surprised to see you in the military." Dean touches Nina's cheek pinching it. "Owwww stop..." She says jokingly.

"You know you're just so cute. You're like a little muffin. It's honestly weird that someone like you is stronger than most men out there. I would never have guessed that you were in the military." Dean giggled complimenting Nina's strength.

"I'm not that strong you know? It's just that a lot of people are weak that's all." She says with pride and then laughs.

"Anyways. I got this in the mail again. It's from your father again." Dean hands over the letter.

"Did you check what it says here? Cause I'm a bit lazy to read it." Nina grabs the letter and puts it on the table. She opened it and it contained a badge and a letter.

"No. Even if I did I don't think I can wrap the thing again." Dean giggled dropping his coffee in the table and taking a look.

Nina stares at the paper and reads it a little. As Dean tried to observe her she hides the letter from his line of sight. She continued to read but as she read more and more her face turned into a concerned face.

"What is it about?" Dean asks her.

"My father... he's asking me to go back to the military as a medic again." She sighs.

"Why are you sad then? Isn't that great you can serve the country by healing and taking care of the injured soldiers. You can save lives like you always dreamed about." Dean turns away and starts to open Nina's room.

"When are you going to go through? I'll help you pack up since you are a bit of a messy packer when it comes to these things." Dean giggled but Nina seemed to look sad. Dean raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to Nina grabbing her hand.

"Why are you sad Nina?" Dean asks.

"It's just that... I don't want to go... I just want to be here... with you." She looks at Dean frowning.

"Nina. As much as I love you... I'm really concerned about your life choices. Remember the first time I met you?" Dean fiddled with Nina's hair.

"I was just a high school girl with a very scary atmosphere and no one wanted to be around me but I still aspired to be a doctor.." She says timidly.

"No. I saw a girl that has ambition. Someone that wants to save people. Someone that has a goal and dreams. You may have been very scary but you're just so cute back then." Dean pinches Nina's cheek.

"And you did achieve that. You became a doctor and you're healing and helping the soldiers in the military because you're father is the general and you did help those men and women who needed help. You were able to bring them back safe and healed up but when I came to the picture. You resigned from your job and you became a school nurse which is a step down from your position..." Dean says timidly.

"Because I wanted to be with you. I just want to be with you. I left the military to sign up as a school nurse at the university is because I want to be close to you. I love you, Dean." Nina hugs Dean.

A cloud of insecurity surrounds Nina when she looked at Dean who is unsure..

"Why.. are you making that face? Don't you want us to stay together? Don't you want to spend your time with me?" Nina grabs Dean's hand.

"No. I'm not saying I don't want to spend my time with you. I just want you to make the best decision. I don't want you to hold back to what you want to do because of me. I want you to pursue your dreams. I want you to be happy." Dean explains.

"I am happy! I am living my dream. I'm helping the students who get injured I am healing people." Nina responds convincing Dean.

"Nina. I want you to remember this. Always put me last in your priority list. Your first priority is supposed to be yourself. You follow your dreams and your aspirations first before me. I want you to secondly prioritize your family. Your father needs you there to help the injured people and help them recover and thirdly prioritize your country. You're nothing without your country. Serve your country with all you can and lastly, you can think of me." Dean smiled bittersweetly.

"Do you..really want me to go? I don't want to go away from you. Why would I be there when I can be here with you." Nina starts to tear up. Dean wiped away her tears and hummed a smooth and beautiful song.

"Just a little girl crying in the rain she called for help but no one came. A little girl standing in the rain, standing tall because someone came." He pats Nina's hair as she sat on Dean's lap humming a song.

"You're still that girl I saw during high school. Full of life, cheerful, friendly, beautiful. That's why I fell in love with you." Dean smiled.

Nina hugged Dean as the heartstrings get pulled with their love and compassion for one another.

"So will you be going or what? I'll help you with packing if you but if you don't want to. It's fine I can't force you to do it. I want you to be happy with what you want to do. I'll be sad when you go but when you come back. I'll prepare the best dinner for you and we'll have a date. Just the two of us." Dean smiled.

Nina bursts out of her seat. "ALRIGHT LET'S GO PACKING NOW! IT'S NEXT SATURDAY!"

"Hey! Do you really want to leave me that much?" Dean giggled.

"No. Because I know when I come back we're gonna have a date again like we usually do. So I'm excited." Nina jumped up and down excited.

"Why have the date after it we can have a date right now, right?" Dean offers his hand to Nina.

Nina's eyes widen as Dean kissed Nina's hand. "I'll prepare you, you're favorite dessert. I'll cook a wonderful dinner as we always do."

"Can I have a different dessert other than Strawberry Shortcake?" Nina asks innocently.

"Oh. What would you like then? I'll cook it for you." Dean smiled.

"Can I eat you?" Nina says innocently with an innocent smile.

"No. Nevermind I'm going to sleep. Let's not eat dinner good night." Dean walks away.

"WAIT, NO. COME BACK! NO BABE! I WAS JOKING OKAY PLEASE COME BACK I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE LAST TIME WE HAVING A DATE SO PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE." Nina pouts and throws a tantrum in the floor

Dean turns around and offers his hand. "Fine. Just because you're so cute. I'll let this slide. Alright? You'll be good now right?"

"Yup! I'll be a very good girl now!" Nina laughs.

"But you don't want my strawberry shortcake..." Dean pouts.

"No! I mean I love your strawberry shortcake I love eating it but if I choose between you and the strawberry shortcake you're more delicious." Nina says naughtily.

"Bad. I'm leaving." Dean leaves.

"NOOOO COME BACK!"