Page 61 of That First Flight

Macey’s eyes move from my hand to my eyes like she’s questioning if she wants to trust me on this.

“Trust me?”

She doesn’t say the words, but her hand clasps mine and she stands from the booth.

I don’t release her hand for the next twenty minutes because it’s a physical touch that I’ve craved lately. It just feels too good to have her hand in mine.

She still has no idea where we’re going as we ride the elevator seventy stories up at the Rockefeller Center. Honestly, this place is one that everyone needs to visit if they ever make it to the city.

I’ve even blogged aboutThe Top of the Rockwhen I first started. I know she hasn’t been here yet in the small exploring she’s done with Mackenzie because most people new to the city don’t know unless they look it up.

Once the elevator doors open to the panoramic views of the city, Macey steps out, her eyes wide as she slowly circles and takes in everything she can. Her hair dances angelically in the cool breeze and this is the freest I’ve seen her since she got here.

Like she just stepped into her future.

I pull my camera from my backpack and I snap a few photos of this moment because I want to remember it. I want her to remember it.

“This is incredible,” Macey finally says.

“It is.” But my eyes haven’t looked anywhere but at her. I don’t need to.

She’s perfect.

She’s beautiful.

Without thinking, I step behind her and wrap one arm around her neck. She immediately rests her jaw on the crook of my elbow, relaxing her back into my front as she stares out into the city. Her hands come up to hold my forearm, and she breathes out a sigh of comfort and relief.

My heart is beating so loud that I swear she can hear it.

I lean down to whisper into the shell of her ear. “No more rock bottoms, dragonfly. Welcome to theTop of the Rock. This is where you stay for good this time.”

She grips my forearm tighter as a silent agreement.

The same way she’s slowly gripping my heart.

I’m not used to the amount of rain that New York City seems to be getting lately. Oliver says it’s unusual for this time of year, but never misses a chance to mention that he’s happy it’s not snow.

We laugh, the way we do every time he says it.

The way we do so much more lately over just about everything.

On Thursday, he successfully took my mind off the fact that I still hadn’t heard about the job. He brought me to the top of the Rockefeller Center to show me the best views of the city, the city that I’ve dreamed about for so many nights.

Seeing it from that perspective changed something inside of me. I started shifting my mindset and really making this place feel like a home instead of acting like a temporary tourist.

It was the dreamiest day.

From bagels, to the top of the rock, to picking up Mackenzie from school together and the two of them bonding over his camera. They took pictures of the most random things during the walk back to the apartment as I walked a few steps behind them and watched intently.

Feeling my armor slip more and more around him.

I still haven’t heard about the job and it’s now Saturday. I forced my brain to rewire itself to believe they will call me on Monday, that management is out on the weekends and I’ll have an answer for sure at the start of the week

Look at me talking myself out of anxiety.

I sit up from Mackenzie’s bed where we are watching one of her favorite movies for the millionth time to check my phone out of habit. I’ve been in her room since I woke up because her stomach has been bothering her on and off all night.

She might be getting too old to cuddle, but when she’s sick, it's exactly what she needs.

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