Five minutes later, the cabin door closed.
The engines changed pitch.
Caleb reached for my hand.
“This is it.”
I smiled.
“This is it.”
Then the speakers crackled.
Darius’s voice filled the cabin.
“Good morning, everyone.
Welcome aboard Flight 482 to Atlanta…”
Caleb’s entire face lit up.
“That’s Dad!”
Several passengers looked toward us.
I laughed softly.
“I know.”
I pulled out my phone.
I wanted to record his reaction.
Darius continued with the standard announcement.
Weather.
Flight time.
Seat belts.
Then came one of his terrible jokes.
“We’re expecting mostly smooth skies today, though I did ask the clouds personally to stay out of our way.”
Caleb whispered, “That wasn’t funny.”
“Please never tell him.”
“I always tell him.”
The phone in my hand captured Caleb grinning.
His eyes shone with pride.
For that small moment, everything in the world was exactly as it should have been.
