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“He does that well,” she said, with no hint of lasciviousness. “Let’s get you back to your seat,
Dauphine. It’s rather warm in here. Here’s your Gatorade, Captain. We don’t want you dehydrated.”
She took me by the arm.
“Thank you, Captain,” I said. “Flying will never be the same for me.”
“I’m glad I could be of some help. Oh! Before you go, Dauphine,” he said, reaching into his shirt
pocket, “we like to give visitors a little something. For trusting us. You’ve earned this.”
He handed me a small blue box.
“Dauphine gets her wings!” exclaimed Eileen with a little clap.
“Thank you,” I said, as Captain Nathan stood and gave me a deep bow.
By then, First Officer Friar had returned. “It was good of you to keep the captain company,” he
said, squeezing past us. “It’s lonely up here sometimes.”
Eileen led me back to my seat. Was I imagining First Class eyes on me, noting my slight
dishevelment, the flush in my cheeks?
Once seated and buckled up, I discreetly lifted the lid to the small blue box. Inside was a brooch
shaped like wings, the airline’s logo in its center. Under the cotton puff, another gold-hued ornament,
my Step Three charm, Trust written on the back. I pinned the wings to my sweater. The elderly
woman seated across from me gave me a thumbs-up. What she made of the charm I then secured to my
bracelet, I’ll never know. But after it was firmly in place, I pushed my seat back, slid my earphones
on, closed my eyes and floated in a dream for the rest of the blessedly uneventful flight.