With each mile, my mind recalled snippets of our daughter’s life while physically I stared out the small window. Beyond the rectangular pane was the still-darkened sky. Above us was a moonless canopy of jet-black velvet sprinkled with shimmering stars. Below us was a turbulent sea of gray clouds, billowing in peaks and swirling in chasms.
The sound of engines alerted me to the plane’s descent. The scene beyond the windows changed as we flew lower and clouds engulfed us in varying shades of gray.
As if the swirling gray wasn’t made of moist air but of solid particles, the airplane pitched one direction and then the other. I had the sense of being a silver ball inside an old-fashioned pinball game. No longer tapping my nails, my hands gripped the armrest.
“Ms. Miller, please fasten your seat belt,” Millie, the flight attendant, said as she fought to remain standing. “Marianne said to expect some turbulence as we prepare to land.”
Reaching for the seat belt, I forced a smile and latched the buckle. “Thank you, Millie. You should find a safe seat too.” When she turned, I added, “Is Mr. Kelly...is he going to return for the landing?”
“I-I,” Millie said, holding on to the wall for support as the turbulence continued. “I’m sorry, Ms. Miller. Mr. Kelly didn’t say.”
After we’d taken off from Chicago and reached a cruising altitude, Patrick led me to a private bathroom near the rear of the plane. Within its confines, along with the essentials, I found a shower and a rather large changing area. The space reminded me of a luxurious locker room, well, without the lockers. There were closets. Patrick told me to search for something that fit, something I wanted to wear when we entered Westbrook.
Westbrook Preparatory Academy was where Ruby had been since she was seven years old. Over the nine years she’d made friends and lived a life closer to normal than one in a bratva. I liked to tell myself that. It made sleeping easier.
Within the academy, the age groups were separated. At first I hadn’t been keen on the idea of her being with the older children, especially at only seven years old. She wasn’t. The campus was large and divided like a small community. There were individual dorms for all ages with house moms who oversaw the children in their care. There were also buildings with classrooms, laboratories, theaters, and gymnasiums. Elementary was separated from middle school and separate still was high school.
Beautiful and full of green space, it was the campus I fell in love with. Of course, this time of year—winter—it was more like white space. Westbrook even had an ice-skating rink along with other winter outdoor activities. When Ruby was younger, she enjoyed ice skating.
After Patrick left me alone in the changing area, I took a quick shower, washed my face, and using the makeup I’d found on the plane, reapplied less of a “poker face” and more of a “mother face.” And then I changed into a pair of slacks and a sweater. The emerald dress I’d been wearing earlier was back somewhere at Club Regal, and the sweatshirt and pants I’d been given were a joke. The clothes I’d found here on the plane were similar to ones I would choose. Whoever had selected the contents of the closet had good taste. Thankfully, everything fit.
I’d even been provided with underclothes including socks and a pair of stylish boots. The final additions to my wardrobe were a long wool coat, gloves, and a cashmere headband to cover my ears. The person who chose the clothes was well aware of midwestern winters.
When I asked Millie where the clothes came from, she replied, “Mr. Kelly had requested them.”
Asking Patrick how he came up with the closet of clothes was just one of the many questions on my long list. I also had stories I was eager to share. Despite the fact it was nearly dawn, my mind was a cyclone of memories and milestones of Ruby’s childhood that I wanted to relive with Patrick. He’d missed too much that could never be brought back. Perhaps with time, pictures, and stories, he’d come to understand what an amazing blessing she has been and is. I’d been led down the wrong path before she was born, but I was proud of who she had become. Despite the world she’d been born into, somehow Ruby had thrived.
I hadn’t seen Patrick since he left me in the changing room.
Turning away from the window, I peered at the partition separating the two cabins within the plane. The partition had been closed since I returned from changing.
I knew the other side was where I’d find Patrick. I could hear the muffled voices. I could also assume that the man he referred to as Garrett was also there. Garrett and two other large men had entered the plane after Patrick had ushered me up the stairs. I only saw them for a moment, but I’d been with Andros too long not to recognize reinforcements when I saw them.
The plane was now in a steep descent, the clouds beyond the windows swirling like smoke from a raging fire. My breath of relief as we exited the cloud bank was short-lived. Beyond the window snow fell, attaching to the window and wing. Leaning toward the glass, I searched for the ground beneath us. While we were still high, the altitude wasn’t what obstructed my view. It was the darkness—time of morning combined with the swirling snow.
A gray mass with shimmers of light beneath us came into view. Streets lined with streetlamps and cars materialized. White headlights and red taillights were the only indication of their direction of travel. The snow continued to fly, reminding me of supersonic special effects in a seventies’ movie.
Despite the inclement weather, my excitement blossomed. I’d soon be with Ruby. Her beautiful face came to mind. She’d be sleeping when we arrived or recently wakened.
I tried to recall the day. So much had happened.
It was Sunday morning.
A smile came to my lips. Ruby would still be asleep. I imagined entering her dorm room and waking her like I did when she was visiting and staying in Detroit. Watching her sleepy eyes meet mine and a smile bloom upon her face was one of my favorite activities.
I’d been honest with Patrick when I’d said I spent as much time with our daughter as possible. What I hadn’t said was that the frequency and duration wasn’t at my discretion. It never had been. Like everything else, Andros was in control. Even holidays weren’t a forgone conclusion. My heart ached with the recollection of the year he’d taken her away, leaving me in Detroit. Of course, Ruby didn’t know the truth—that I was being punished. She was told I was ill, a lie that I’d perpetuated on our phone calls. I couldn’t ruin her holiday with the ugly truth.
For once, I was in control. Well, maybe it wasn’t me but Patrick. That was all right. The sense of change was empowering and truly felt right.
How would Ruby react to an unscheduled visit?
Could I convince her to leave with us?
My pulse increased.
Did Patrick’s men know for certain that Andros wasn’t on his way?
As the sound of landing gear rattled the floor beneath my borrowed boots, I looked again to the closed partition. “Please come back here, Patrick.” I hadn’t spoken loud enough to be heard. We descended lower as the blue lights of a landing strip flashed in the distance.
Abruptly, the trajectory of the plane changed, throwing me back against the seat.
I gasped as the whine of the engines grew louder and noises echoed within the plane. Gripping the armrest, I inhaled sharply. Where we’d been about to land, we were now climbing back into the sky, through the swirling snow and into the clouds.