CONTESSA DOESN’T UNDERSTAND AEROPLANES

The airport was a study in controlled chaos. Announcements crackled over the intercom, suitcases rolled across polished floors, and travellers moved through long lines—some rushing, some waiting, all bound for destinations unseen.

Contessa stood at the terminal gate, watching. The massive aircraft outside the window gleamed under the midday sun, its engines humming with idle power.

Maggie handed her a boarding pass. “Come on, this is us.”

Contessa followed her through the jet bridge, stepping into the narrow aisle of the plane. The air smelled faintly of recycled oxygen, fabric upholstery, and something faintly artificial. Sanitized yet lived-in. Passengers settled into their seats, stowing bags, adjusting vents, flipping through in-flight magazines.

She slid into the seat beside Maggie, looking out through the window at her side. It framed a view of the tarmac, where ground crew signaled to one another beneath the towering wings.

Maggie fastened her seatbelt with a practiced click. “Alright, first time flying. Nervous?”

Contessa buckled hers. “No.”

Maggie grinned. “You say that now.”

A chime sounded. The captain’s voice crackled overhead, relaying details of the flight path, expected turbulence, and weather at their destination. As the aircraft taxied onto the runway, the engines roared to life, a deep, reverberating hum that thrummed through the cabin.

Then—acceleration.

The force pressed her back into the seat slightly as the plane surged forward, the landscape outside blurring. Faster. The nose tilted upward, and suddenly, the ground fell away, buildings shrinking into a patchwork of streets and rooftops.

Contessa’s fingers flexed against the armrest. The sensation was unfamiliar—being lifted, carried by something beyond her control. For a brief moment, it was almost disorienting.

She looked out the window. The city below was vanishing behind a layer of clouds, the sky stretching wide and endless above them. For the first time in a long while, she was somewhere she had never stood before.

Maggie nudged her. “So? How does it feel?”

Contessa thought for a moment, watching the plane’s wings drift through the clouds, then turned to Maggie and smiled.