When I returned to my seat with - Nicholas in tow, I found Elva still excitedly looking out the window. She had her hands on either side of it, her nose pressed up against the glass.

“Elva,” I said, lightly scolding her. If there was any turbulence, she was likely to bump her head against the glass and hurt herself.

“Sorry, Mommy,” Elva said as she turned. When she saw Nicholas with me, her eyes went wide. “Nick-lass!” “Hi, Princess,” Nicholas said. Elva beamed. Nicholas glanced at me. “May I sit beside Elva for the rest of the flight?”

The rows were six seats wide with an aisle down the middle. This put three seats on either side of the aisle. If Nicholas took the seat beside Elva, that would have me sitting in the third seat, the one nearest the aisle and farthest from the window.

That sounded like the perfect spot for me. Or, at least, as perfect as Iwas likely to get in this shaky box a mile up in the sky. So I nodded, quickly agreeing.

Elva cheered.

Nicholas slid into the seats and sat down in the middle. I took the seat on the end and immediately fastened my seatbelt. Like this, if I kept my eyes forward, I could convince myself I was riding the bus or the subway. Modes of transportation I was much more

comfortable with.

flight progressed, things seemed much calmer. Elva would point out

would look and tell her what they

different from all the way up here. Elva might not ever be able to see things from this perspective again, once this trip was

it was. Long hours working. Elva watching too much TV. Buses and subways and smog. Underpaid people crammed into overpriced apartments, with only enough extra money

ourselves.

an airplane again. And who knew if - Elva would ever get to the beach again? Let alone a

things were happenin now She was having those experiences here, and that gave

just because of the experience

Nicholas here, sitting between my daughter and me, was making my

Its family. My family.

it

the plane began to tremble and shake, like it was driving over a bumpy road. But there

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