“Especially me.”
The girl giggled.
Her mother watched them, visibly moved.
“I hope you don’t mind,” she said. “Sophie has been talking about you since we boarded. She was nervous about flying, and seeing you helped more than you can imagine.”
Elena stood and shook her hand.
“I’m glad she felt safe. That means a lot to me.”
The mother smiled.
“She wants to be a pilot. We’ve been looking at books about airplanes together. But this morning, she told me she wasn’t sure anymore.”
“Why not?” Elena asked gently.
Sophie looked at her shoes.
“Because somebody said girls don’t get to fly the big planes.”
Elena felt something tighten in her chest.
She could have given the girl a quick, cheerful answer. She could have told her to follow her dreams and never listen to anyone who doubted her.
Instead, she chose to tell her the truth.
“Some people will tell you that you can’t do something because they’ve never seen someone like you do it before,” Elena said. “Sometimes they won’t know what they’re talking about. And sometimes, you’ll meet people who have genuine concerns and can teach you something important. You have to learn the difference.”
