[sometime Thursday]
They are halfway into the flight from Atlanta to JFK airport. So far the ride has been smooth. He glances at the woman sleeping in the seat next to him. For several minutes he watches her sleep through hooded eyes. Her seat is slightly reclined and the window is closed. Her hands are limp upon her lap and her head is positioned so she would be looking his way were her eyes open. His eyes flicker downward to rest on the ring adorning her left hand; his ring, his Ellie. He’s still surprised she accepted it.
During their week and a half trip, he has gotten to know her better than he expected. He is having a hard time associating the woman he knew in New York with the young vivacious spirit she transformed into when they reached Alabama. The image of her when they went riding Wednesday still haunts his mind along with the time they spent in her favorite spot, her hair spilling on the leaf covered grass. He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed and smiled so much.
He turns away from her to face forward, his thoughts automatically turning to their current situation. Things are changing fast and not necessarily for the better. He wasn’t even sure if she was aware of some of the things he found out from her brothers. He was confident that if they had been aware of what they were telling him and how it affected their sister they would have clammed up.
His elbow rests on the outside armrest, a hand absently stroking his chin as he continued to twist and turn all the facts and evidence in his mind, analyzing every detail. He’ll have to tread carefully from this point on. She’ll have to be shielded from as much as he can and not due to security reasons, but because he’d seen how fragile she could be where her family is concerned. Christmas Eve showed him that. His hand balls into a fist as he remembers the yelling, the accusations, and her tears. He’d always known he had a temper, but that night he almost lost control of it and that would have only made the situation worse.
A light touch on his arm startles him and he looks to see Elspeth’s blue eyes staring back at him. She then smiles in a sleepy manner and his features soften and he banishes his previous thoughts and reaches for her hand to gently squeeze it.
“You should still be sleeping.”
“I’m not tired anymore.” Her eyes drift down to their clasped hands. He leans over to kiss her forehead tenderly. When she looks up, her eyes mirror her concerned thoughts. “You’re not going home with me, are you? The phone call…the one before we boarded…?” Seems he wasn’t the only one getting better acquainted. He chooses his words carefully.
“There have been some complications and I need to see to them personally.”
“They can’t wait until tomorrow?”
“No. I’m afraid they can’t, sweetheart.” Elspeth nods in acceptance.
“Will you call me later?” It surprises him that he doesn’t really want her acceptance on this. He’d rather have her demand to go with him or to stay with her even though he knows neither could happen.
“I promise.” That pleases her and she changes the topic. For the rest of the trip they talk about her nieces and nephews. He even volunteers some of his own childhood experiences. For a little while he allows himself to forget what awaits him when they land for he knows they will have to part before they even leave the airport; her to the sanctuary of their home and him off to Lord knows where.
