I’m doing this.
Dad moves forward, and we start to tip forward. I let out a scream that’s slammed right back into my throat as the air hits me in the face.
A lifetime passes where I can only feel my heart racing madly in my chest. My body is suddenly jerked upwards, and then a calm settles over me.
Dad points to something on the ground, and I look down.
Oh wow. Everything is so small. I see patches of land, buildings, trees, and looking to my left, I see the ocean.
As Dad steers us towards the ground, I close my eyes and allow myself to feel this moment. It’s just my father and me, and we’re on top of the world.
As we near the ground, I pull my legs up like Dad told me to, and he takes the brunt of the impact. I expected us to roll across the grass, but instead, Dad takes a few steps before bringing us to a stop.
His hands move so fast, I can’t keep track of everything he’s doing, and before I know it, we’re unclasped, and he’s turning me around. His eyes search my face, and when I grin, he relaxes visibly.
“That was amazing,” I yell.
I throw myself at him, not even thinking that I might knock him off balance. He catches me against his solid chest.
I wrap my arms tighter around his neck and bury my face in his shoulder, as my emotions sky-rocket.
“I’m so glad I found you,” I cry. “I’ve only had you a few weeks, and already I can’t imagine my life without you.”
“You’ll never have to, Evie. I’m here now, and I’m never leaving you.”
Hearing the promise in his words fills me with a sense of belonging and safety. It’s like a security blanket has been wrapped around my heart.
When Dad sets me down on my feet, I look up into his eyes.
“How did I get so lucky?” I whisper. “You’re everything I dreamt a father would be.”
“It’s only because I had twenty-six years of dreaming what it would be like to have you in my life.”