Chapter 15 - The Sky Above the Sea
On a bright Saturday morning, the Harbor Pines community gathered at the public pier for the annual youth regatta. Small wooden sailboats with white canvas sails bobbed on the turquoise water.
Nora stood at the bow of Calum’s small fishing boat, wearing a life vest over a light cotton hoodie. Her hazel eyes sparkled with excitement as she held the tiller, guiding the boat across the gentle chop of the bay.
"Keep her head to the wind, lass!" Calum shouted with a broad grin, adjusting the mainsail. "Steady now!"
Sarah stood beside Nora, her hair whipping freely in the salty gusts. She looked at her daughter’s face—flushed with life, free from the shadows of fear, her chest rising and falling in effortless, boundless cadence.
Nora reached into her pocket, tapped her inhaler once with a quick smile of gratitude, and then let go of the pocket entirely, throwing her arms wide to catch the spray of the ocean.
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"Look, Mommy!" Nora shouted over the roar of the sea. "I'm flying!"
Sarah wrapped her arm around Nora’s waist, joining her daughter in looking out toward the endless horizon where the ocean met the sky. There were no cages here, no gates, and no conditions. There was only the open sea, the steady wind, and every single breath she would ever need.
