Two Souls One Wild Adventure Teesa Glassman   © Copyright 2025 Teesa Glassman

Photo courtesy Air Force Museum.

There were two girls: Talia and Dakota, who had known each other long before life got serious. Talia was two and a half years older.
To everyone, they were best friends, the kind of inseparable duo that did everything together, always laughing, always side by side.

But behind closed doors, when the noise of the world faded, they were something more. They were quiet glances that lasted too long, soft hands brushing together, late-night talks that ended with hearts racing. It wasn’t loud or dramatic, it was gentle, secret, and real. They kept it hidden not out of shame, but out of fear. Fear of what people would say, of being too young to understand, of losing something that felt too sacred to explain, and parents of course. Their love was innocent and beautiful, no expectations, no pressure, just two souls finding something rare and pure. But even something beautiful can break. 

Talia made mistakes, small ones that turned into big ones, choices she regretted the second they happened. She didn’t mean to hurt Dakota, but she did. And the fallout was heavy. They didn’t just drift apart; they had to separate. Life pulled them in different directions, school, work, distance, but the real space between them came from the hurt neither of them knew how to fix. 

And yet, they never disappeared from each other’s lives completely. They’d talk for a while, then stop. Disappear, then reappear months later. A random message, a check-in, a memory shared, it went on like that for basically ten years. Not romantic. Not close. Just… there. Enough to remind them that something between them had never fully gone away. 

Then, somehow, life lined things up again. Older now, Talia 24, Dakota 22, they found their way back to each other. It started with a message to dog sit. Then a conversation. Then a hangout that turned into a drive of laughter that felt too familiar. And just like that, the spark that had never really died started to glow again. 

One night, sitting under the stars at the pool inside the Hot-tub, Dakota said, “I’ve been thinking about joining the Navy.” 

Talia smiled softly. “The Navy, huh?” 

Dakota nodded. “Yeah. I just… want more. I want to make money and travel the world and go. I don't know what else to do.”

Talia watched her for a long moment, then said, “Then come with me instead. Join the Air Force. With me.” 

Dakota laughed. “With you?” 

“Yeah,” Talia said, grinning. “Let’s do it together.” 

It felt wild, two girls with wild dreams, signing up to change their lives. But for once, the timing was right. From that day forward, they started preparing like they meant it. DAYS at the gym, training side by side, running at the field until their lungs burned, doing push-ups and sit-ups until their arms shook. They studied for the ASVAB together, sitting across from each other at all the different coffee shops and places they went, quizzing each other, cheering each other on. Every day, they got stronger, not just physically, but as a team. 

When boot camp came, they enlisted through the buddy system, promising to keep each other grounded no matter how hard it got. Boot camp was hard. The long runs, the shouting, the exhaustion, but when one fell behind, the other slowed down. When one cried, the other stood close until it passed. Together, they made it through. 

Graduation day came like sunlight after a storm. Standing side by side in their blues, medals shining, tears in their eyes, they knew they had come so damn far! They did it finally, all their effort and hard work paid off! 

After boot camp, they went to separate technical schools, Talia into Aircraft Metals Technology, shaping and welding the heart of aircraft, and Dakota into her own field, finding her purpose in logistics and administration. 

They stayed connected every day, no matter the distance. Late-night calls, letters, shared memories and thoughts that made the miles feel smaller. When their training ended, they both requested the same base, and somehow against the odds they got it. They found a little apartment off base, simple but homey. Two mugs, two sets of boots, laughter echoing down the hall. They worked out together, cooked together, grew together — stronger than ever before. 

One night, half-jokingly, Dakota said, “You know… we’d get better benefits if we were married.” 

Talia laughed, tossing a pillow at her. “Oh yeah, that why you wanna marry me?” 

Dakota grinned. “Maybe.” 

But the joke didn’t stay a joke. Because somewhere along the way, they realized it wasn’t about money or benefits, it was about love. Real, crazy, wild love. So they did it. They got married. Not for convenience, but because they finally understood that what they had was worth everything, and a bit for the benefits hahah. Together, they built a life that felt limitless. Traveling base to base, country to country. Some days were long, some nights were lonely, but they always found their way back to each other. Maybe they’d serve twenty years, getting the good ass pension you get for staying in all those years. Maybe they’d leave one day and do something else in the civilian world. But no matter what came next, one thing stayed certain, they would continue to travel and live out their days happy together, getting through anything life threw at them.