Come Fly With Me

by Sandi Perry

  "Can I get you something to drink—hot tea, a cold soda?"

  She shook her head to both. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Dr. Rosenbaum."

  He nodded, "Kaitlin considers you a friend—what can I do for you today, Allison? It is okay if I call you Allison?"

  She nodded and took a shaky breath as she began, "When I was eleven years-old, I thought I killed my uncle..."

  ****

  Allison took the elevator down to the lobby and was surprised to Alex waiting for her.

  "Hey you," she said. "You cheated; you were supposed to wait for me at your apartment."

  "I know, but I wanted you to see a friendly face as soon as you were done."

  "That's sweet; I didn't know you had it in you," she teased.

  "I'm working on myself. I hope you'll be able to get used to the improved version."

  "I look forward to getting used to it, and a whole bunch of other things, too," she said as she looked into his clear, green eyes.

  "How was it?" he asked.

  "Not as bad as I thought it would be."

  "I'm glad."

  Allison reached down and took his hand in hers. "Let's walk this way." She led him down toward the Rockefeller Center Concourse. They walked silently for three blocks, the car horns and corner musicians acting as background noise. "Remember when we went ice-skating and you told me I was all messed up and needed to be rescued?"

  He winced, "That wasn't one of my better moments."

  "Remember when I took you out to dinner and you told me I was frozen and I needed to learn how to start living?"

  "Ouch, take it easy. I'm going to be the one who needs therapy soon."

  "Alex, I never properly thanked you for rescuing me from the cottage, and for simply rescuing me, period."

  "You're welcome."

  They both rested their arms on the low wall of the Concourse as they took in the bustle of the busy street filled with tourists. There were tables of people sitting below having their lunch al fresco.

  "Did you know that I can tell you which country each of those flags stands for?"

  "Really?" He looked at all the flags that wrapped around the whole Center. "How do you know that?'

  "I would come here a couple of times a year to visit my father during winter and spring breaks, and he would take me here and teach me a few flags. Then the next time he would test me, and if I got them right, he would tell me a few more." She leaned her head back into his chest, and he put his arms around her. She felt cocooned and safe—for the first time in a very long time.

  He pointed to one, "Okay, which country is that one?"

  "That's Costa Rica, they happen to be an original U.N. member."

  He nodded, "Really? Have you ever been there?"

  She shook her head.

  "We can go there. Or how about that one?"

  "That's Chile, another original U.N. member."

  "Ever been there?"

  Again, she shook her head.

  "And that one?"

  "That's France, hey, no fair. You know exactly which countries those are," she reached around and punched him in the arm.

  "How long do you think it would take if we visited one country a year?"

  She smiled, "A really long time."

  "Do you think it might take forever?" he whispered softly in her ear.

  She shrugged her shoulders, "It might."

  "Well then, Allison Ross, it sure looks like we've got our work cut out for us. Fire up the jet, it's time we see the world—however long that takes."

  THE END