The plane hummed through the night sky, cabin lights dimmed to a soft amber glow. David sat by the window, eyes on the darkness outside, but his mind was far from the clouds. Carolina slept beside him, head resting against his shoulder, breathing slow and even for the first time in months. Her hand lay loosely in his, fingers still thin but warm. Sarah Mills sat across the aisle, legs crossed, staring at the seatback screen that showed nothing but the flight path. She had declined the in-flight meal and hadn’t touched the water bottle in front of her.
After a long stretch of silence, Sarah spoke first.
“You ever miss the old days?” she asked, voice low so it wouldn’t wake Carolina.
David turned his head slightly. “Which old days?”
“Before all this.” She gestured vaguely toward Carolina
