Page 67 of Too Much In Common
Chris: Can we give us some time?
Tian: It will only hurt more.
Chris: It wouldn’t hurt if we didn’t care.
Tian’s thumbs froze above her phone.
Tian: I know. But it still isn’t fair to either of us.
Chris: Let’s put this on hold until we can see each other.
Tian: That’s 5 or 6 days at least.
Chris: I’ve asked for the 17th off. We can talk then.
Tian: K
Her phone rang.
“I’m not pressuring you into this. If you have decided you want to end things, I’ll be cool with it.” The warmth in his voice engulfed her like the hug she wished she could have.
“That’s the problem. I don’t want to, but I don’t see a way forward either. Everything I think of ends up a dead end.” A sob threatened to come out. Tian gulped it back and willed it to stay hidden. She needed to end this. “Promise me if we can’t come up with a workable plan we will walk away?”
“How many plans have you been through?”
“Not that many. I can’t ask you to leave your job, and my only option is to take a demotion so I can fly regional. Mrs. Ogilvie offered something, but I think it requires moving.”
“You’d hate that.”
“Pretty much. I could fly corporate, but that can be a messier schedule for the wrong company. Cargo is almost the same as now, only with more night flying.”
“I could become an air marshal.”
“You’d never be assigned to my plane. Even if you were, I would have to pretend not to know you.”
“Tian!” Her mother called from downstairs.
“Mom needs me.”
“I hope your dad is well enough for the flight.”
“Thanks.”
“Be safe.”
The line went dead before she said goodbye. Probably his way of making sure she didn’t say it for good.
Tian hurried down the stairs. Dad and Brit sat at the kitchen table. Tian couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a meal with her family.
As soon as she sat down, her father said grace. Tian shared a wide-eyed look with Brit. Dad never prayed. She didn’t know if he’d ever gone to church other than to get married.
Tian couldn’t resist making a puddle with the maple syrup. “So what happened?”
“Only a little heart palpitation. Your mom overreacted.”
“Are you cleared to fly?”
Dad frowned. “Not exactly. I am trying to work something out. This may be a four-pilot flight.”
