The handwriting was uneven, with some letters much larger than others.
It read:
“To Captain Elena, thank you for showing me that girls can fly the biggest planes!”
For several seconds, Elena couldn’t speak.
Clara watched her quietly.
“The little girl is named Sophie,” she explained. “She’s eight. It’s her first flight, and she was terrified before we took off.”
Elena traced the edge of the napkin with her thumb.
“What happened?”
“Her mother said Sophie had been asking questions about the pilot since they got to the gate. When she saw you walk past in your uniform, she stopped crying.”
Elena looked up.
“She did?”
“Apparently, she told her mother, ‘If a lady is flying the plane, maybe I can do it someday, too.'”
Marcus turned toward Elena, his expression softening.
Clara continued.
“Her mother said Sophie has been talking about airplanes for months. She draws them in school. She watches videos about astronauts and pilots. But someone in her class told her girls couldn’t fly big planes because it was a man’s job.”
