Dolphin Tale 3

Chapter [1]

The plane skimmed the runway, finally landing with a small jolt. Music played overhead as the captain began speaking.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived at our final destination: Tampa International Airport. Please remain seated as we taxi to our gate. We ask you to keep your seat belts fastened until the seat belt light has been switched off. On behalf of my crew, I'd like to thank you for flying JetBlue Airways; we hope you had a pleasurable flight."

Sawyer blinked as sunlight streamed through the window, lighting the interior of the plane. He smiled, happy to be home at last. He had been waiting for this exact day for three painfully long months.

"We're home," Kyle announced, leaning over Sawyer to look outside. "Excited, Sawyer?"

Sawyer grinned. "Yeah, I'm excited." He turned to face Kyle. "What about you?"

"Of course I'm excited. How can I not be, Sawyer? Home is where the heart is. It's also where our families are, and family is forever."

The seat belt lights faded and there was a ruckus as everyone scrambled to retrieve their carry-on luggage from the over-head compartments.

Sawyer wrenched his seat belt off, jumped up, and watched, annoyed, as Kyle remained seated, his seat belt still buckled, and a peaceful look on his face.

"We may as well wait for this crowd to clear," Kyle said. "Besides, it's going to take those people out there ages to unload our bags from the plane and transfer them to baggage claim."

Sawyer sighed and sat down, watching the people working frantically on the tarmac to get the plane ready for its next scheduled flight.

At last, the crowd of people thinned and both Kyle and Sawyer were able to collect their bags. An air hostess bade them farewell as they descended from the airplane and into a cool, air conditioned corridor.

They arrived at Immigration and waited - somewhat impatiently - for their turn.

"Welcome back, Sawyer Nelson," the Immigration officer said, placing a stamp on Sawyer's passport. "I've heard all about you, son, and it's a pleasure to finally be able to meet you."

Sawyer smiled uncomfortably. "Thanks, Sir." He took his passport and walked on, looking for Kyle.

Kyle was waiting for him at baggage claim with a trolley. The conveyor belt had just began to move, meaning that their baggage was about to arrive.

The first few suitcases arrived, their respective owners collecting them. After a while, Sawyer caught sight of his two suitcases and pulled them off the belt, carefully placing them on the trolley. A fragile sticker was stuck on one of them, and he could only hope that the baggage handlers had been careful. Kyle walked off and came back with his own suitcases, dumping then on the trolley.

"Come on, let's go," Kyle said, steering the trolley through masses of people still waiting to collect their bags off the conveyor belt.

They arrived at Customs, and once declaring that they hadn't brought any firearms, drugs, animal skins, or anything of the sort into Florida, they were free to go.

Sawyer paused outside the gate, wondering what lay ahead. He had been excited, but now that the moment was finally here, he was nervous. What if things had changed? What if nothing was the way it used to be? 

"Come on," said Kyle, placing a hand on Sawyer's shoulder. "It's time to go."

The electric doors opened and they walked through. Suddenly, reporters were on top of them, thrusting microphones in Sawyer's face and throwing questions at him. Sawyer could only blink, his mouth agape. He had definitely not been expecting this.