Elena looked away for a moment.
She had received commendations, promotions, and praise from people whose opinions mattered to her career.
But that simple sentence made her eyes sting.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Marcus nodded, then returned to the shutdown checklist.
They completed their duties, and the aircraft came to a stop at the gate.
Only then did Elena allow herself to breathe out fully.
Another safe flight.
Another group of passengers who would soon be home, at work, or on their way to whatever mattered most to them.
And somewhere among them was a little girl who had drawn an airplane with a rainbow over it.
Elena couldn’t wait to meet her.
The cabin crew began preparing the passengers to disembark.
Elena stepped into the cabin after the aircraft was parked and the cockpit procedures were complete. She stood near the forward exit, greeting passengers as they collected their belongings.
