Playboy Pilot

He was lying flat on his back, completely still.

“Dad?”

He didn’t respond.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I repeated louder while nudging his shoulder, “Dad, it’s Brucey. Wake up.”

Placing my two fingers against his neck, I checked for a pulse.

There was none.

Lowering my head, I listened for a heartbeat that wasn’t there.

I kept my cheek on his chest and wept. He may have been my fake father, but there was nothing fake about the tears that were falling from my eyes.

A SIMPLE PHONE MESSAGE was about to change everything.

Rolling my suitcase through Logan Airport, I realized I’d missed a call from Carter. The phone must have gone off while I was driving to work with the music turned up.

I listened to the message.

“Hey, Kendall. I’m about to board my flight. I wanted to hear your voice before takeoff, but I guess that’s not gonna be possible. It’s been a very shitty morning. Um…”

There was a long pause.

“Gordon died. I found him in bed. He wasn’t breathing. He must have passed away in his sleep. He was all alone.”

My heart fell.

Oh no.

A long breath escaped him into the phone.

“He died all alone with no one holding his hand. It’s so fucking sad. No one should have to die alone.”

A tear fell down my cheek as the message continued.

“Anyway, it really brought home what matters. I miss you. I’m gonna need to hear your voice tonight to fall asleep. I’m just letting you know.”

There was a bit of silence before he said, “Shit. I have to go. I’ll call you when I land in Rio.”

Standing there frozen in the middle of the terminal, I suddenly felt like a complete fish out of water in this airport. Sweating through my uniform, I knew I couldn’t let this go on.

What was I doing here?

I needed to be with him.

The ball was so far in my court, that it wasn’t even funny. I was the one who’d left; I needed to be the one to bring us back together.

The time apart since reuniting had been good for us, it had given us both time to think, but it was time. There was no way anything could ever work between us if I kept this job. Because of his schedule, it was difficult as it was to have a relationship. Factor in two people working for different airlines, and it was virtually impossible. At this rate, I would never see him. Something had to give.

It was my turn to give.

MARIA ROSA LET ME IN with minimal inquisition. Not that I would have understood her questions anyway. I think she knew full well what I was there for.

I nodded. “Obrigada.” I’d finally learned how to say “thank you” appropriately in Portuguese.

Pedro hopped up on my shoulder, and to my surprise did not urinate on me before he fled again. Perhaps, after three visits, I was finally in with the monkey crowd.