Page 80 of Landing Love

As the minutes passed, her worries dropped away. This was magical. Putting a tentative hand on the side, she peeked down. They were indeed floating on nothing. That should have terrified her, but instead, she could only feel exhilaration. She turned her gaze to Bill, who glanced back to smile and wave at her.

He eased the plane into a gentle turn, and she clutched the arm of her chair for a moment then relaxed. She trusted Bill. He would take good care of her. They flew out over the ocean and her breath caught. The land seemed so insignificant compared to the deep blue of the ocean that met the lighter blue of the sky at the horizon. A flock of seagulls flew by, and she laughed. She was one of them up here, flying like a bird.

Bill curved back to bring them over land and began to ease the plane down. He’d promised her it would be a short flight. Now she regretted her insistence. She loved it up here and wasn’t ready for it to end. Clouds rushed by, and the buildings grew larger. Their speed became more apparent as they approached the ground. Up high, everything had seemed slow and removed. As they neared the ground, their speed suddenly seemed suicidally fast. The ground came nearer and nearer. She couldn’t look and closed her eyes. There was a gentle touchdown and then the bumpiness of the grass runway as they drew to a halt.

When they stopped, she opened her eyes. Bill was already heading toward her from the cockpit, and a mechanic rolled up the staircase for her to use getting down. Her legs felt like rubber as she climbed down to the ground.

Taking her in his arms and guiding her away, he asked, “Well? What did you think?”

“Oh, Bill, it was wonderful. I don’t know how to put into words all that I felt.” She was glad of his support as they made their way to the hangar. Her legs were none too steady beneath her after their gravity-defying ride.

“Good. I’m so glad! I was worried you might spend the entire flight with your eyes shut, but I know you had them opened when you waved to me.”

“I had them open for most of the flight. It was just the take-off and landing that scared me a bit.”

Bill nodded. “Those were the bits that scared me the most my first time too.”

“I really enjoyed it. I might even be willing to do it again sometime.”

Bill came over to offer her his arm. “Well, my budding aviatrix, shall we celebrate today’s adventure with lunch at the Gold Bug Hotel?”

She looked adoringly up at her husband. “That sounds delightful, Bill. I can hardly wait.”

As he walked her to the car, she thought about all that had transpired in the last year. Despite everything, she was certain this day would stand out in her memory for years to come. All year long, she had gone from one crisis to the next, always dealing with the practical realities of her situation. But this was a day for joy, a day for daring, a day for fun. Ann stopped her husband and tugged him into a kiss.

“What was that for?” he asked when she finally released him.

“For today.”

He cupped her face between his hands and brought his lips to hers. His passionate onslaught left her breathless and blushing.

“What was that for?” she asked.

“Everything.”

She knew exactly what he meant. It had been a long and difficult road, but now she knew what it was to fly. Her heart overflowed with love as she looped her arm through his. All that had come before had made them who they were, and for all the pain and heartache, she wouldn’t have changed a moment of it. But the past was in the past, and with him by her side, she was ready to soar.