Page 107 of Tickled Pink

Phoebe exhales hard from the window seat on my right. I reach for her hand, and she flinches before showing a smile.

“I’m okay,” she says before I can ask.

I entwine our fingers, kiss her hand, and ignore the stupid part of my brain that notices her bare ring finger. “I always forget how nervous you get when you fly,” I say.

“I’m fine,” she says again, her voice a little higher this time.

“Trade seats with me.”

“No, no. I wanted the window, and I’ll stick by the window. Face my fears. Well, this fear, while I ignore the fear of impending doom I’d be feeling otherwise.”

I take her hand in both hands. “Everything is going to be fine, Phoebe.”

“I’m meeting your parents for the first time,” she says, her voice shaking a little. “It’s a big thing.”

“It is a big thing.”

“I know it’s a long shot. Scratch that. It’s a mathematical impossibility at this point, but I still want to be liked, you know?”

“You are liked. My mother likes you.”

“How? She’s never met me. Your father’s never met me, and he despises me.”

“He doesn’t despise you. He despises me.”

“Because you chose me over LA.”

“And I always will. All Donna Monahan wants is for me to be happy,” I say. “And all I’ve ever told her is how much you make me happy.”

“Really?” she asks, hopeful, but still full of doubt.

“Really,” I say. “It’s gonna be okay. Trust me.”

Phoebe takes a stronger breath, her perfect little eyes finding mine. “I do. I trust you.”

Laughter pulls our attention toward the front of the plane; Thad’s laugh the loudest of all between two flight attendants. He steps out from the cockpit area and walks toward us, still chuckling lightly as he takes his empty seat across the aisle.

“Good to be back in the sky, huh?” Phoebe asks with a laugh.

“Oh, yeah,” Thad says. “Turns out, I used to fly with the captain back in my first officer days. Good guy. Great pilot. We’ll get to LA on time and under budget for sure.”

Phoebe exhales again, the thought of us arriving early obviously rattling her. I give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Apparently, my old employer is looking for pilots,” Thad says.

I look at him across the aisle. “Really?”

He nods. “Desperate is the word Cap’n used.”

“Are you considering going back?” Phoebe asks, her brow furrowed with concern.

My stomach jolts. “Are you?” I ask.

Thad shrugs it off. “Nah,” he says. “It’s stressful work. Really stressful. Fun, though. More fun than giving private lessons to rich people like I do now. But choosing my own clients and schedule has its perks. Also,” he looks at us, especially Phoebe, “I wouldn’t be home as often.”

That’s a… good point.

I absently roll the tip of my thumb along Phoebe’s ring finger. “You should think about it,” I say.

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