Page 112 of Truth

As promised, Jamie called back twenty minutes later with instructions to be at the airport as soon as possible. The pilot needed about an hour to fuel up and go through a systems check, and then we could take off.

Bile rose in my throat as I thanked Jamie. It was only knowing I was doing this for Brianna that kept me moving one foot in front of the other. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.

We didn’t bother packing anything since this was only going to be a day trip. I did, however, take her collar and leash, just in case. Airports could be unpredictable places. I also had no idea what we might encounter once we arrived in Dallas.

Jamie had given me specific instructions on how to locate our plane and pilot, so it wasn’t difficult. As promised, he was expecting us.

“You must be Mr. Coleman?”

He extended his hand, and I took it. “Yes. And this is Brianna.”

“I’m Kevin. I’ll be flying you to Dallas today.” He glanced down toward our feet. “Did you have any luggage?”

“No. You’re just taking us.”

He nodded. “Feel free to get on board. I need to finish checking a few things, and then we’ll get in the air.”

I guided Brianna onto the plane. It was nice. Nicer than some boardrooms I’d been in. Too bad I wasn’t going to be able to enjoy it. My palms were already sweating, and we hadn’t even taken off yet.

Brianna seemed to sense something was wrong and leaned her head on my shoulder. I pulled her against me as best I could in the bucket-style seats. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I felt better. Even if it didn’t take my anxiety away completely, her being with me made more of a difference than she’d ever know.

The pilot boarded the plane about fifteen minutes later. He smiled at us before ducking into the cockpit. My stomach churned, and I closed my eyes, trying not to let my nerves get the best of me.

“Your heart is beating fast.”

“Yes. I... I don’t like... flying.”

“Because of your parents?”

I kissed the top of her head and tightened my hold on her. “Yes. Because of my parents.”

“I don’t... we don’t have to—”

“Yes. We do.” Tilting her chin up, I rubbed my thumb over her beautiful lips before giving her a soft kiss. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I’ve had to fly before—it’s just not my preferred method of travel.”

“What... happened? To the plane?”

I sighed. This wasn’t something I wanted to talk about, especially not when we were minutes away from taking off, but she was talking—finally. “The pilot had a brain aneurism. It was sudden and completely unpredictable. The plane took a nosedive. My dad had his pilot’s license, so he should have been able to take over, but he and my mom had been drinking. He could barely walk, let alone fly a plane.”

“That’s why you don’t drink.”

Tucking her head back underneath my chin, I took a deep breath and released it. “Yes. That’s why I don’t drink. I never want there to be a time when I’m not completely in control of myself. In college I tried it once, just to see what it was like. Even the buzz was too much. It left me feeling sort of disconnected from myself. I didn’t like it.”

She nodded but didn’t comment. A few minutes later, the pilot’s voice came over the intercom and announced we were ready to go. I made sure both of us were strapped securely in our seats as the plane taxied toward the runway.

Brianna

Maybe asking to see my mom’s grave hadn’t been the best idea. Stephan was tense the whole flight. I’d never seen him like that. It was strange. He was always so in control of everything, including himself.

When he told me about his parents, a lot of things I’d learned about him over the last few months began to make sense. His not drinking. His need to help others. His loyalty to his friends. It made me wish even more that I could give him what he desired from me. At one point, I’d thought I could, but now I knew that wasn’t possible. What he wanted... truly wanted... I couldn’t give.

The plane landed a little before one at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. It had been years since I’d been there, but not much had changed. There were people everywhere, and I held tight to Stephan’s hand as we weaved our way through the crowd to the rental cars.

Driving to the cemetery where my mom was buried took longer than I’d thought it would. I didn’t remember traffic in Dallas being so bad.

The cemetery, though, was exactly as I remembered, minus the small tent that had been placed over my mom’s grave the day she’d been buried. Stephan parked the car and helped me out, holding my hand the entire time. I knew he was concerned I’d have another panic attack. I didn’t think that would happen, but I was grateful he was there none the less. He was the only one who knew... who understood.

There was no marker, just a round piece of metal with a number stamped on it. No one had cared enough to get her a gravestone, other than me, and back then that wasn’t possible. As soon as the funeral had ended, John had driven us back to the house and had me pack my things. “Our flight leaves in four hours.” I could hear his voice as clearly as if he were standing beside me.

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