Chapter 4 - The Pilot’s Daughter
Ten minutes later, the cabin was completely empty of passengers.
Ethan walked back into the forward galley, where Molly sat on a cushioned bench seat with an ice pack wrapped in a cloth towel pressed gently against her chest. Rachel stood beside her, offering her a cup of apple juice with a straw.
When Molly heard boots on the floor, she looked up.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her lower lip still trembled slightly, but the moment she saw her father standing there in his captain’s uniform with his four gold stripes gleaming, a small, brave smile broke through her tears.
Ethan dropped to his knees right in front of her, ignoring the dirty cabin carpet entirely.
“Hey, kiddo,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he gently pulled her into his arms, careful not to press against the burn.
Molly buried her face in his shoulder, wrapping her small arms tightly around his neck.
“Daddy,” she whispered against his collar. “Are we in trouble?”
“No, sweetheart,” Ethan murmured, kissing the top of her head, his eyes burning with unshed tears. “You’re not in trouble at all. You were as brave as can be.”
“Did you fly the airplane all the way here?”
“I did.”
Molly pulled back slightly, looking up at him with serious, watery eyes. She reached up with one small finger and tapped the silver pilot wings pinned crookedly to her faded denim jacket.
“Did I help?”
May you like
Ethan let out a wet, broken laugh, pulling her close again as Rachel stood nearby, wiping her own eyes with the edge of her apron.
“You helped more than you’ll ever know, copilot,” Ethan whispered, resting his forehead against hers. “You helped more than you’ll ever know.”
