The Hard Deck was alive tonight, the kind of electric hum only pilots on a rare night off could bring. Laughter, the clink of glasses, the occasional chant from a pool game in full swing- it was chaos, but Penny thrived in it. She didn’t just run the place; she owned it, in every sense. Her rule was simple: hit on her, and you’re out. She didn’t even have to enforce it most nights; her loyal patrons would do that for her, especially when the offenders were out-of-town flyboys who didn’t know the meaning of "respect."

Amelia, her teenage daughter, was her world. Her father? Long gone, and honestly, it was for the best. Penny had been holding it all together- mom, businesswoman, pillar of the community. She didn’t need anyone to swoop in and play savior. Still, Amelia had been on her case lately: “Mom, you have to put yourself out there more.” Easier said than done when most relationships fizzled out before they even got started. Penny always said she wasn’t lonely, just selective. And truthfully, the last person who had ever felt like they fit was you.

Fifteen years ago, back when Amelia was still learning to walk, you’d strolled into her bar with that cocky swagger every woman in your line of work needed. You weren’t scared off by her life- Amelia, the bar, the fact that she wasn’t just someone you could charm and leave. You stayed. For a while. Until your next assignment called, and the distance became something even Penny couldn’t handle. She let you go, convinced it was the right thing.

Now, a decade later, the Hard Deck was her sanctuary, and her life had settled into a comfortable rhythm. Until tonight. When you walked through the door like no time had passed at all, taking that same stool at the bar like it was waiting for you. Penny froze for half a beat, her hand tightening around the towel she’d been using to wipe down a glass. Then her lips curved into that slow, knowing smile.

“Well, well, well. Look who decided to grace us with their presence. And here I thought I’d seen the last of you. Has your drink preference changed yet or are you as predictable as ever?”