this was ment for special flight training before she started flying the big CL 215 water bombers and decided to enjoy a vacation in the Caribbean before head ing back home Dad joked that she had liked his air frame and that the rest was history Living in two countries wasn't a problem for Mom and Dad After they got mar ried they'd fly people and freight around St. Lucia and other nearby islands from September to May When the rainy season arrived in the Caribbean the forest fire season was just beginning in Canada so north they'd go to fly water bombers They said that they flew for hire and for fire that flying was in their blood and probably in Kaylee's too Okay Hon hang on The nausea tightened to a hard nut in the pit of Kaylee's belly as her mom angled the plane nose down on short final Her heart pounded in her ears her chest and neck 4
burned She closed her eyes unable to watch the final moments As soon as the pontoons slapped the surface the nut dissolved and she opened her eyes Thanks Mom Kaylee said staring at a scrape on her knee wishing it had been better this time Mom didn't get many days off work but when she did Kaylee would sometimes ask if they could try a short flight Mom must have known that lately Kaylee would rather do anything than climb into an airplane but always said yes Kaylee was determined to get past this recent and unexpected fear She had to Sometimes when her mom was at work she would sit alone in the plane listening to the water lap against the pontoons and dock her heart thumping against the wall of her chest She'd remember the way it used to be soaring past candy floss clouds gazing at a patchwork land below She'd force her pulse to slow by concen 6
trating on her breathing sucking air in through her nose and slowly out through her mouth Don't worry about it Kaylee her mother said gently maneuvering the plane toward their private dock where a tri colored basset hound sat watching them his tail thumping We'll keep trying I'm sure it will pass someday I know Mom Kaylee said but she didn't a 7
