Chapter Twenty-Seven
“I can’t remember the last time I was in Chicago. I must have been a little kid.” Caroline said as the plane descended into O’Hare International airport. The flight was uneventful except for the minor turbulence through the Great Lakes region. It was the perfect opportunity to lean into one another.
“Grew up here. In the north side.” Jack said, clutching her hand and bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. “I really appreciate you doing this. You didn’t have to.”
“What are you talking about? I feel like a little bird let out of her cage for the first time. This is by far the only time I have ever traveled alone without being followed or dad or mom knowing anything about.”
“I am honored. It is a lot of trust to invest in someone you have only just met.”
“I think I will be alright. I am a big girl, don’t forget that.”
“Of course, you are. So no one else knows you are here?”
“No one. Except for Alex… He knows everything about me. He has been like a brother and protective angel to me.”
“He may feel differently about that.”
“How do you know? You have only met him once.”
“I saw how he looked at you. I think he is in love with you. As much as I hate breaking someone’s heart, I wouldn’t let anyone take you away from me.”
Caroline had feared as much. There was nothing she could do about it. She hadn’t had time to think about the shame and guilt, pretending everything had gone back to usual. As far as she was concerned, Alex hadn’t given her any reason to suspect otherwise.
“I think you are seeing this wrong. I know he cares about me. I care about him, too. He has practically been working with my dad since he left college.”
“Too bad for him. I am excited I will get to introduce you to my city. You will love it; I promise.”
Everything, since Jack came into her life, has been magical to Caroline. She had been spending her time as a regular girl in love with a handsome guy any girl would die for. Except for being whisked away by black cars and traveling on a private jet across the country, every hour had been time spent between two lovers.
“Do you fly private all the time?”
“Most of the time. More practical than flying commercial. This makes it easier to get in and out of cities. It is also not as expensive as one would think. I’m also working on my pilot license. My dream is to fly across the land in a single engine plane. Like the Cirrus SR22. Did you know there are over five thousand public airports all around the country? Imagine flying from city to city. You can get to any place, even the remotest of areas. Flying at low altitude and seeing the landscape roll beneath you. All the majesty and beauty...”
“Isn’t flying dangerous in the tiny planes?”
“Life is dangerous in general, isn’t it? This aircraft, though, it comes with what they call CAPS, Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. It is a whole-plane parachute recovery system capable of lowering the entire aircraft to the ground in an emergency. Do you wanna know what I have been holding out for?”
“Retirement?”
“No, the right companion to travel with me. Someone I would want to spend every single moment of my life with. If you do me the honor…”
“How long are you going to keep suggesting this thing without making it official?”
“Well, it is like the first kisses. If I treasure every moment with you, it is a gift and renewal. Something to be grateful for and never take for granted. I would never tire of asking you, Caroline. Never.”
“I can’t wait to do it. It would be the most romantic thing to do…”
“We can take our mini-retirements, take a couple months off every year and travel and explore and live out the dreams of retirement while we are still young and energetic.”
“Sounds like a fabulous idea. I will train to be the best navigator in the world.”
She kissed him as they exited the small plane and went into a car waiting for them on the tarmac. A few days ago, Caroline was unsure about her life. She now sat next to Jack as if she were transported to a different planet. Too good to be true? She hoped, quietly and desperately, that it was all real. The present moment and all the exciting adventure that awaited them in the future.
“Look who I brought with me, mama?” Jack said as he led Caroline into the bedroom where his mother, Amy Reiner, was sitting propped up against the headboard. The room was flooded with natural light coming from a window overlooking Lake Michigan.
“Oh, my dear Lord. Is this really true?” Amy said. She looked frail to Caroline. Her voice weak and her face drained of life force while still keeping the symmetric beauty of her youth. She looked slightly like Jack.
“Yes, it is,” Caroline said, smiling as she inched forward to hug Amy.
