Come Fly with Me

‘Can’t we just have a luxury staycation? Apparently it’s going to be a hot summer.’ Sadie was casting around for excuses but Will was having none of it. ‘It’s more than a holiday, Sadie, it’s our honeymoon. And if my Nan wants to pay for our flights and hotel, then I want to go somewhere special.’ Sadie sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder, her eyes following the white trails across the blue sky, relieved she was sitting in her garden and not in one of the planes way overhead. He had a point, she knew. But after three years together, how could she tell him that she was afraid of flying? Not just slightly nervous, but absolutely petrified. ‘Where did you have in mind?’, she asked. ‘I thought maybe a tiny Greek island, a small hotel, near the sea. You know, romantic and intimate...’ Four hours flying time. Sadie felt hot when she thought about it. It was four hours too long. Couldn’t he settle for somewhere closer to home? Will gave her a nudge. ‘Well? What do you reckon?’ he urged, looking into her eyes. She nodded, holding his gaze. Those beautiful, earnest brown eyes of his. How could she say no? She swallowed and forced a smile. ‘That sounds amazing,’ she said. ‘Really?,’ he said, sitting up straight. ‘I’ll book it at the weekend. You’ll have to hold my hand on the plane, though. I’ll probably be a

nervous wreck!’ Sadie laughed at the irony of it. Will had spent his childhood visiting a string of remote islands off Scotland, driving through the night in the back of a tiny car, a tradition he and Sadie had continued in the early stages of their relationship. He’d never even set foot in an airport. Sadie, on the other hand, had been on numerous international holidays. But that had stopped five years ago when a simple two-hour flight had hit an electrical storm, the reassuring hand of the stranger next to her the only thing saving her from being frightened to death. Once she was reunited with terra firma, she made a vow to never fly again, telling herself that flying was a luxury rather than a necessity, so it was a fear she could easily skirt around. Besides, everyone was scared of something, weren’t they, even pragmatic people like her. But now, afraid Will would think he was marrying a bore, she would have to to back on that promise to herself.

‘All set?’, Will asked. Sadie nodded, pulling the door closed with a definitive bang. ‘Are you okay?,’ he asked, ‘You seem really quiet.’ She linked his arm as they walked towards the waiting taxi. ‘I’m fine. It’s just been a tiring few weeks, with the wedding and the house move.’ He stopped and turned to face her, tucking her hair behind her ears. ‘I agree, Mrs. Smallwood, and that’s why I’m whisking you away for two weeks of pure escapism!’ Sadie had to almost hold her

new husband back from skipping up the path.

Ten minutes from the airport and Sadie was struggling to keep a lid on her panic, the strong wind and lashing rain doing nothing to ease her worries. The dream she’d had last night about the plane skidding off the runway, which had seen her wake in a cold sweat, had featured similar weather conditions. It had been one of many similar dreams she’d had in recent weeks. ‘Oof,’ said Will, his nose pressed to the window, watching the planes power into the clouds, ‘how does something that huge even get off the ground?’ Sadie gulped and sank down in her seat.

The smell of the airport was the first thing that struck her as they popped out of the revolving doors, a heady mixture of people, food and cleaning products that had once brought her a sense of anticipation but which now incited pure dread. ‘Wow!’, said Will, ‘so many people. Where do we go?’ He was so caught up in the excitement of it all that Sadie allowed herself a smile - and a twinge of jealousy. ‘Come on,’ she said, keen to keep moving, ‘we’ll get checked in.’

It was really happening. Up until now, Sadie had been kidding herself that it might not work out, that the taxi would break down, the flight would be cancelled, or Will’s passport wouldn’t turn up in time. But as she approached the metal steps to the plane, she knew her fate was sealed. She paused momentarily, her breath catching in her lungs. ‘Will, I can’t…’ She pulled on his arm. ‘Can’t what?’, he said, frowning. ‘I…er…can’t…’ His flickering eyes were searching hers for answers. ‘I…I just can’t believe we’re going on our honeymoon, that’s all’, she stammered, throwing her arms around him.

‘Right at the back!’, exclaimed Will, putting his rucksack in the overhead locker. ‘And three seats to share between the two of us. Perfect for you to put all your things on!’ Sadie duly unpacked her handbag of distractions, carefully chosen to try to help keep her mind off several hours of torture. ‘It was sweet of you to bring all those things to keep me occupied. I bet you’d rather just go to sleep, wouldn’t you?’ If only, she thought. ‘Heard these stop your ears popping’, said Will, proffering a bag of mints. She shook her head, unsure she’d even be able to swallow, already struggling to get her fingers to manipulate her seatbelt. ‘Gosh, you’re really pale, Sadie,’ he said. ‘Am I?’, she replied, her hand instinctively going to her face. ‘Well, in four hours I’ll be able to start topping up my tan!’ While Sadie couldn’t deny that the idea of relaxing on a remote beach somewhere was appealing, she just wished she could be teleported there.

At that moment, the pilot announced they would begin taxiing. Sadie closed her eyes, an eerie calm coming over her, certain her final minutes were just ahead. ‘Hold my hand, Sadie, would you?,’ requested Will, ‘just for the take off.’ He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed his back equally hard. As the plane bounced its way through the grey clouds and into the sky, engines at full throttle, she battled to keep her breathing steady, noting with envy those fellow travellers who had already managed to fall asleep. Will stared out of the window. ‘Amazing! Look at the tiny houses!’ Sadie kept her eyes firmly fixed on her crossword. ‘Why is it bumping about?’, asked Will, his eyes darting around the cabin as the plane dropped and regained height. Sadie shrugged as casually as she could manage. ‘Just imagine you’re on a road and sometimes it’s a bit bumpy, that’s all. It’s nothing to worry about.’ She hoped she sounded convincing. And, indeed, the cabin crew bustled around despite the turbulence, laughing and chatting with the passengers as they served them snacks. ‘Let’s have a glass of champagne,’ suggested Will. ‘It’ll take the edge off my nerves!’ ‘No, I’ll stick to a hot drink,’ said Sadie firmly, her dry mouth desperate for sweet tea, ‘and stop worrying. If the cabin crew are happy, then everything’s fine!’

They climbed above the weather, floating on a sea of white clouds, with no sense of where they were. Sadie even managed to gaze out of the window, and it was breathtaking, her heart rate almost returning to normal for the first time in days. The journey passed in a haze of card games and word searches, several drinks of tea and half a film, with Sadie trying not to constantly look at her watch. ‘It’s weird having no choice but to do exactly what you want,’ said Will. It was one thing she had missed about flying, the feeling that life was in limbo and that time didn’t have to be accounted for.

Their heads were almost stuck together as they eyed the Greek island from above, a picture-postcard image of paradise with its craggy coastline and pure white beaches. ‘Stunning,’ said Will, ‘there’s no better way to see the world than from up here.’ The sudden lowering of the landing gear caught him by surprise. ‘What the heck was that?’, he asked, looking up and down the plane. Sadie laughed, almost giddy now that her ordeal was coming to an end. ‘Just the wheels clicking into place,’ she explained, ‘so we’ll be on the ground in a few minutes.’ He gripped her hand again for landing, Sadie resisting the urge to cheer as the plane ground to a halt and all her anxiety melted instantly away. ‘You’re an old hand at this,’ said Will. ‘I promise to be a bit more cool on the way home.’ Sadie kissed his cheek. If only he knew that having him there for company was the only thing that had got her through the flight. ‘Well, I’m going to try and forget about the return leg for now,’ she said. ‘We have two weeks of relaxation ahead. What’s the first thing you’d like to do?’ He pulled her to standing and draped his arms on her shoulders. ‘How about a glass of champagne?’ Sadie looked into his eyes. ‘Perfect,’ she said.