Ready for Take-Off

By Kirsty Nottage

“You’re a woman!”

Sarah sat in the cockpit, running through her pre-flight checks when the voice startled her. She swivelled. The man blinked, his eyes darting briefly downwards before returning to her face.

“No! Sorry! I didn’t mean it like that. I was just surprised.”

Sarah stared at him for a moment before continuing to check the controls.

“I’m sorry. Not surprised in a bad way. Just—wow—you’ve done well. Fight the patriarchy!”

The man’s shoulders slumped like a balloon drained of air. Sarah pressed her lips together, but a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She didn’t have time to humour a flustered passenger now, no matter how handsome. The sounds of chatting passengers and luggage being stowed reminded her of their tight timetable.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that.” He held out his hand. “I’m Matthew…”

“Sarah.” After shaking his hand, she waved hers towards the cockpit door. “I have a flight to prepare for. Please return to your seat.”

“What I meant to say is, I know you’re busy, but Chloe was desperate to meet you and see the cockpit.”

A small girl peeked from behind Matthew’s legs.

“Oh, I see—well I always make time for special passengers.” Sarah waved at the child. “Hi Chloe. Would you like to come and look at the controls?”

Chloe nodded, eyes wide with excitement.

“Thank you. She wants to be a pilot.”

“Makes sense,” Sarah said. “It’s a great way to fight the patriarchy.”

Matthew's expression fell. Sarah patted his arm.

“It’s a great job. Well done for encouraging your daughter.”

“Oh! Chloe’s not my daughter.” He gave the child a slight push. “Not that I wouldn’t want my daughter becoming a pilot. She’s my niece.”

“Do you already know what any of these controls are, Chloe?”

“Not many,” Chloe replied, surveying the complex indicators and controls. “Can you show me?”

Each time Sarah pointed out a control—the pedals, the airspeed indicator, the stick—Chloe’s eyes widened with wonder. Her heart warmed at the familiar spark she remembered from her own childhood.

Matthew watched, smiling. She caught his eye more than once, looking away quickly each time. There weren’t butterflies yet, but maybe a couple of caterpillars were cavorting in her stomach.

While showing Chloe the autothrottle, Sarah heard a clink. Matthew was fiddling with something in his pocket. She suppressed a snigger, until she saw how anxious he looked.

Sarah’s stomach turned. “Sir, what’s in your pocket?”

Matthew fumbled a small jar. It fell to the floor and rolled to Sarah’s foot.

“Sorry, I forgot it was there.”

“Banana and apple puree,” Sarah smirked, handing it back. “That’s one way to avoid airline food.”

“It’s not mine. It’s for the baby. Not my baby—my nephew.” He ran a hand through his chestnut hair. “My sister’s been through a lot. I’m just trying to do my part.”

Sarah gave him a genuine smile. Matthew might be channelling a ‘90s rom-com, but at least it was one with a bumbling nice-guy. She turned back to Chloe, showing her the navigation and altimeter.

Matthew shifted from foot to foot, glancing around the cockpit. He tried for nonchalance by leaning against a wall. He failed. When his hand reached for the control panel, Sarah gently moved it away, ignoring the urge to hold on to it.

“Careful,” she said, gesturing to the controls. “We wouldn’t want the plane to crash.” She laughed, then stopped. Matthew had gone deathly white.

She stood and guided him into her seat. “Are you okay?”

Chloe looked up. “Uncle Matty’s afraid of flying. He never usually does, but my mum needed help. It’s been difficult since Dad left.”

Sarah crouched, resting her hand on Matthew’s shoulder. “That’s very kind of him. How about you tell Uncle Matty some of the ways we make the plane safe?”

As Chloe spoke, Sarah’s heart softened. Realising her hand was still on his shoulder, she moved it away.

“Excellent,” she told Chloe once she finished. “You’ve clearly got what it takes to be a pilot.”

Both Chloe and Matthew beamed.

“Thank you for giving us this time.” He squeezed Chloe’s hand. “It’s been a difficult year.”

Sarah’s eyes locked with his. The chocolate and moss swirls that made up his hazel irises were irresistible, and she fought the urge to lean towards him.

“What does that flashing light mean?” Chloe interrupted.

“That’s nothing to worry about—it’s just telling us not to go on the runway yet. We’re not quite ready anyway. The pilot’s been very busy with some important guests.”

Chloe giggled.

“Now, your uncle still looks peaky, so I think he might need something sweet. Do you think some banana and apple puree would help?”

For a beat, both Chloe and Matthew looked confused, and then burst out laughing. Sarah joined in.

“We can do better than that. I’ll get one of the attendants to find him something chocolaty to recover. We can probably even find something for you and your mum too.”

Matthew grinned. His smile was contagious.

“I think it’s time you both went back to your seats. This plane’s not going to fly itself. Well, unless it’s on autopilot.”

Sarah and Chloe grinned at each other. Matthew took a deep breath, opened his mouth, then shut it again and shook his head.

“Chloe, maybe we can meet after the flight— talk more about becoming a pilot?” She glanced at Matthew. “Maybe over a drink?”

“I…well, that… I mean…”

Chloe giggled. “He says yes.”

As Chloe skipped down the aisle and Matthew glanced back with that lopsided smile, Sarah caught her own reflection in the control panel—smiling. She shook her head.

Were those caterpillars growing… wings?

🩷🩷🩷

Kirsty is a UK-based writer who balances her day job with fiction writing whenever and wherever she can. She recently won an award from Elegant Literature for new writers and was a runner-up in a Globe Soup competition. Her work has been published in NUNUM, Curated Micro Fiction, and 101 Words. To read more of Kirsty’s writing, visit her website: kirstynottage.com