Fourteen-year-old Lina Carter pressed her forehead against the cool airplane window, mesmerized by the endless swirl of clouds. It felt unreal, like floating inside a dream. Her mother had worked two jobs for almost three years to afford this flight from New Orleans to Seattle, where Lina would finally meet her aunt for the first time. It wasn’t just a vacation—it was proof that even when life was hard, love could still lift you above the clouds.
Beside her sat an older man in a navy suit. His silver hair was neatly combed, his cufflinks gleamed, and his polished shoes seemed too perfect for the cramped economy seat. Lina sneaked a glance at him now and then, curious. He looked like someone from the business magazines her mother flipped through in waiting rooms—serious, successful, untouchable. His name, she learned from the boarding pass peeking from his pocket, was Edward Vaughn.
Halfway through the flight, something changed. Edward’s hand trembled as he reached for his water. The bottle slipped and rolled under the seat. His face paled, his jaw tightening as if he were fighting invisible pain. Then his head sagged to one side.