The Perfect Gift

“I was wondering if you’re seeing anybody cute?”

“Emma! What on earth would make you ask me a thing like that? Is it because you’re getting crushes of your own?”

It was one of those things I had to ask, but in my head, all I could think was, Please God, not yet. I looked at her in the rearview mirror again and saw her nose totally wrinkled, which flooded me with a sense of total relief. It was still a conversational topic I hadn't been expecting, but I was a hell of a lot happier with it being about me, than it being about her.

“Ew, gross! No, not for me. I mean you, Mama.”

“But why would you ask about something like that?”

“I dunno,” she said. “Because.”

> “Because why?”

“Because you’re alone too much. And when you do go on dates, they aren’t good. The guys you go out with, Mama. I don’t think they’re any good.”

Sometimes a child said something that completely floored you, and this was one of those times. I hadn’t ever really considered what Emma might think of the very occasional dates I went on. I hadn’t thought she had ever really noticed them. Not only had she noticed, but she also didn’t approve. It made my heart hurt, as did the reason for the slim pickings available to me when it came to men.

In my experience, few men were interested in dating a woman with a child in tow. They were generally only interested in unattached women. I had no intention of telling Emma that, of course. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings or make her feel like it was her fault. But that didn’t make it any less true.

The dating prospects for a woman like me were a veritable wasteland. It was something I had all but given up on. Of course, Emma didn’t need to know that, either.

As I pulled up in front of Sophie’s house and put the car in park, I turned and offered my daughter the biggest, best smile I could muster up.

“How about I make you a deal?” I asked.

“Okay! Wait, what? Is it something I’ll hate?”

“No, silly girl, nothing you’ll hate. You promise me that you’ll be extra good for Aunt Sophie, and I’ll agree to do my best to find somebody better to date. What do you think? Sound like a deal?”

“Deal!” she said, nodding. “That’s good because you’re gonna have to find a good boyfriend before I ever can, right?”

“Let’s just deal with one boyfriend at a time, okay sweet girl? One boyfriend at a time is just about all I can take.”

Chapter 2: Drew

“Afternoon, sir.” The pretty girl manning the desk in front of me smiled. “Welcome.”

“Thanks, darling,” I said. “Do you happen to know if Captain Fred is in the Pilots’ Lounge?”

"I haven't seen him," she answered as she glanced around. "But if he's flying today, I'm certain he's in here somewhere."

“Certain? How can you be certain?”

"Because it's just part of what he does,” she said. “You know how pilots are, right? Such creatures of habits. He's always in the lounge before a flight, every time, without fail. Do you know for sure that he flies today?"

“I do.”

“How can you be sure?”

"Because," I smiled at her winningly, a smile that had worked on every woman I ever encountered without fail. "I'm his co-pilot. At least for the next couple of days."

“Oh! Oh, God, I’m sorry! Somehow, I didn’t think you would be a pilot yourself. I thought maybe. Well, I don’t know what I thought.”

“I can take a guess,” I said. “You thought I was a flight attendant?”

"Truthfully?" she asked with a guilty look on her pretty face. "That's exactly what I thought. It's just that you look so young, you know? You look super young for any kind of pilot, even for a co-pilot. I'm sorry. I hope I don't sound as rude as I feel."

“Please, don’t worry yourself. You don’t sound rude at all, as far as I’m concerned. If it’s all the same to you, I’ll take it as a compliment.”