Cleared for Departure

Prologue

After the emergency landing at Blue Ridge Airport, my girlfriend, Captain Claire, became the hero of our entire airline. Only I knew that the real hero—the one that almost didn’t hold together—was the plane itself. Left hydraulic system warning. Landing gear indicator fault. A massive fuel leak in the belly. As an aircraft maintenance technician, I was out on the tarmac, frantically repairing that plane from 1:00 AM until the sun came up.

When she finally climbed down from the cockpit, she just gave me a passing glance: “Good work. Go get some sleep.” I thought she was just exhausted.

Until the commendation ceremony. She held the microphone, her gaze completely bypassing me to land on flight attendant Ryan. “If it weren't for Ryan that night, I wouldn't have had the peace of mind to handle the emergency.” Thunderous applause erupted. Not a single person mentioned me, the guy with engine grease permanently stained into his hands and scraped-up knuckles.

After the ceremony, Ryan practically shoved his phone in my face to show me his texts with her. [Thank God for you.] [When you’re there, I feel grounded.]

The next day, I submitted my transfer request. Claire cornered me in the hallway: “What kind of tantrum are you throwing now?” I looked at her, my voice perfectly calm: “Captain Claire, from now on, you can go to Ryan when you need to feel grounded.” From this moment forward, I was done being the invisible foundation she took for granted.

…