******
Thad stepped aside in the narrow aisle to let Phyl scoot over into the window seat. She was glad they were on the two-seat side of the single-aisle plane, that they didn't have to share space with a third person, considering their probable conversations during the almost three-hour trip to Atlanta. He handed her the shoulder bag, then maneuvered himself into the cramped quarters of the McDonnell Douglas-81 twin engine plane. She saw him grimace as he attempted to cross his long legs, then, finally, looking over at her and shaking his head, give up the effort. Well, this was it, she thought, taking a deep breath, and looking out the small window at the workers transferring the luggage from the cargo cart to the underbelly of the plane. They were heading to Atlanta for a forty-five minute layover, then on to Nassau. She looked back around at the passengers getting themselves settled, figuring there to be over a hundred people on the flight. She turned and sighed at Thad, as the stewardess moved to the front of the cabin, waiting for every one to get seated. What she wouldn't give for this to be a pleasure trip, as their honeymoon to Italy or their anniversary trip to France had been, she thought, as she half-listened to the attendant's safety instructions. She brushed back a strand of hair, and tucked it behind her ear, smoothing her ponytail. They had gotten up long before dawn that morning, and estimated that they should get into Nassau around five in the evening. No meals would be served on either short flight, so they would have to grab something to eat on their brief layover in Atlanta, then get dinner after checking into their hotel in Nassau, and meeting with Jonathan's parents. She sighed, wondering what their meeting would be like, remembering how, at one time, they had been hoping that Jonathan would propose to her before she'd moved to Vermont. They would be seeing her with Thad instead of their son, and she hoped it wouldn't be too awkward for them, but considering what they were going through, that probably wouldn't even be an issue, she decided. She looked over at Thad, and smiled. The plane taxied, then lifted in the morning sky. Sunlight streamed into their window as the plane turned toward the south and Atlanta.
"I think I'm going to close my eyes for a moment." She lowered her lids a little. "We didn't get much sleep last night."
The crease at the side of his mouth deepened as he smiled at her, and she reached over and traced it lightly with her fingertips. "Hmm..m, no, we didn't. I apologize for keeping you up so late." He raised his eyebrows at her, and she smiled, laying her head back on the white cloth headrest on the back of the blue seat, remembering the night before. How complete they were together, how much alike in so many ways, she thought as she gazed at him, her eyes feeling heavy now. She would always be amazed that in this enormously complex and crowded world, she had found her perfect match. She felt her lashes lower, knowing that her sweet husband was watching her, and she fell into a deep sleep.
A Pale Paradise Page 9