Chapter 6 - Turbulence
At 3:00 AM Greenwich Mean Time, a sudden shudder rattled the frame of the aircraft. The seatbelt sign chimed with an urgent double ring.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the captain’s crackling voice came over the speaker, "we are experiencing severe turbulence due to an unexpected jet stream. Flight attendants, please take your seats immediately."
The plane dropped fifty feet in a stomach-churning instant. Overhead bins rattled, and gasps echoed from the dark economy cabin behind the partition.
Elena gripped the armrest, her knuckles turning white as old traumas surfaced. Maya stumbled slightly against the seat, her eyes widening with genuine fear. For all her remarkable empathy, she was still a little girl terrified of the empty void outside the cabin window.
Julian acted without thinking. He reached out with his free arm, catching Maya gently by the shoulder, pulling her safely into the wide leather seat beside him.
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"I've got you," Julian said firmly, his voice projecting a calm authority he hadn't known he possessed. "Hold onto my hand, Maya. Breathe with me. Inhale. Exhale."
He reversed the roles, offering her the same steady presence she had gifted his son hours before. Elena reached across, clasping Maya’s other hand. Locked together, the three of them formed a small, unbreakable triangle of human warmth against the raging storm outside.
