Heart Sparks: Tiny Stories of Love | ✓

23 • Takeoff

"What are you reading?" 

I hadn't noticed my seatmate storing his handbag above us. Just the way he looked over at me with expectant eyes as he sat. 

I tore the book cover off the tray I had pulled down from the seat in front of me and held it up sheepishly. 

He laughed.

"Is it any good?" he asked. 

"It's pretty dramatic," I replied, tucking it in the bag under my seat, and putting up the tray to prepare for takeoff. 

"Aren't all love stories a little dramatic?" he countered. 

"Maybe a little," I agreed. The seat belt sign lit with a ding, and we got settled in before the air hostess's inspection. 

"Raine," he turned back to me and offered his hand.

"Sayla," I said and his warm hand wrapped around mine. 

"Nice name," he commented. "So, Sayla, why France?" 

"Truth?" I asked, and he nodded encouragingly. "I threw a dart." 

"And you went with it? There's no where else you wanted to go?" he asked. 

I shook my head. 

The air hostess began signalling the safety instructions and the booming voice from the speakers interrupted our conversation. I reached for my phone in the meantime, updating my parents that I would be lifting off earlier than expected. 

Raine didn't speak but he didn't move to put his headphones in either.

When the instructions stopped and the hum of conversation filled the space again, I asked this time. 

"What about you? Why France?" 

"I'm going for a family trip actually. We're meeting in France, and touring around, before seeing my grandparents in Spain," he replied. 

"None of your family lives nearby?" I asked. 

"Just my sister," he said. "I have one brother in England and one in Australia. They both moved away after college." 

"Are you close with them?" 

"Not too much. They're both a lot older than me and my sister so we were still kids when they moved away," he answered. "It's just been me and Mary since our parents moved back to Spain." 

I nodded, not wanting to pry more than a friendly conversation would warrant. I also didn't have any personal experience I could draw from. I was an only child and I'd only met my cousins and a handful of times. I didn't have any experience living far away from family. My parents lived on the other side of town. A phone call and they could be at my apartment helping me find a plumber, or taking care of my houseplants when I decided to take an impromptu vacation. 

The plane started jolted and I took that as my signal to window watch. 

My favourite part was the takeoff. Seeing a point below become smaller and smaller until it disappeared from the view in the clouds. Luckily, today had been a sunny day. All the colours, especially the greens, were bright and clear. 

"Can I take a picture?" Raine asked, gesturing to the window. 

"Oh, yeah," I pulled back into my seat. "Of course." 

"Thanks," he said. "It's such a nice day out and I've never sat this close to the wing." 

He tilted his phone toward me after taking a few pictures, showing the wing against the blue sky.

"That looks amazing," I said, not just to be polite. 

"Can't take credit for the view," he said, putting his phone back in his pocket and smiling at me. "Don't let me keep you from your book. I'm sure you must want to know what happens next." 

"Kind of," I replied. "I was actually researching for a story that I'm hoping to write. I want there to be a love story in it but I had no idea where to start. I thought picking up a book might help." 

"Reasonable idea," he said, and paused. "What about talking through it? What are you thinking?"

"You won't judge?" I asked, and he shook his head. "You don't mind?" 

He was the only person I had told and I could use the input. 

"I've got a couple hours," he replied.