Page 68 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
27
CALLUM
Getting through security at the airport had Lina more frazzled than I had ever seen her. I guessed having no memory of who you were made things difficult when the people at the airport were drilling you with questions with blank stares and angry tones.
She made it out alive, and we found ourselves waiting at the gate for our direct flight with twenty minutes to spare before boarding. I’d brought a pack of playing cards, so we played a couple card games and had a few laughs while we waited.
Once it was time to board, Lina was nervous again. She wasn’t too keen on getting on the plane, and I assured her everything would be fine. She wasn’t convinced. She had no memory of being on a plane, so she had no clue what to expect. My words offered her no comfort.
When we took our seats, she sat with her hands tight on the arm rests. I put my hand over hers. “There’s nothing to worry about, Lina. We don’t take off for another fifteen minutes or so. And once we’re in the air, you’ll see it’s no big deal.”
Lina nodded nervously. “So you keep saying.”
I smiled. “I’ve done this a hundred times. Trust me. I’m practically an expert.”
She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. “Did I fly a lot?”
I shrugged. “I’m not really sure, but I don’t think it scared you. To be honest, I don’t think anything scared you.”
That earned me a bigger smile. “Really?” she asked.
I nodded earnestly. “Really. You’re a badass, Lina. You just haven’t remembered that part yet.”
I distracted her with small talk until it was time to fasten our seatbelts and prepare for takeoff. I held her hand firmly as the plane taxied to the runway. When the engines started to roar, she let out a nervous, high-pitched giggle. She squeezed her eyes closed when the plane launched forward and picked up speed.
“Oh my God,” she breathed. “Oh my God. Oh my God. It’s happening.”
“Yep, it is. Any second now, we’ll be off the ground.”
“Shit.”
I laughed. “It’s cool. You’ll like it.”
“I don’t think I’ll like it.”
The wheels left the tarmac, and Lina gasped. We gained altitude, and within minutes, we were up in the sky, and Pittsburgh was looking smaller and smaller out the window. Lina eventually opened her eyes and leaned over to peer out down below.
“It’s too bad it isn’t night time,” I told her. “The city looks beautiful at night from up here.”
“Maybe on the way home,” she said. Her voice sounded far away. Her grip on my hand had loosened as she practically pressed her forehead to the window to watch everything pass by below us. I let her sit quietly as she enjoyed the view.
When she’d gotten her fill, she sat back in her seat and looked over at me. She had a guilty little smile on her lips. “You were right. It’s not that bad.”
“You see?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”
The flight attendants brought us coffee and cookies, and as we ate, we talked about Asher, and my dad, and how good Christmas had been. Then she asked me what I did for a living. Lina pursed her lips. “I can’t believe I haven’t asked you yet.”
I shrugged. “It’s not all that interesting. I’m a lawyer, but I’m also running for office. I’ve been getting everything in order to cut down on my workload at my firm and get more engaged in the city.”
“That’s cool.”
“I think so. It’s a lot of work, though. I’ll have my hands full in the new year trying to juggle it all.”
“You can do it,” she said simply. “I know you can.”
I shrugged. “Time will tell.”
