The flight attendant was telling them to fold tables, fasten seat belts and prepare for landing.
"We're about twenty minutes behind schedule and the weather at Dulles is rainy with a temperature of 73 degrees....Those of you with connections should check in at the desk...."
As she fastened her seat belt Thera wondered what Henry would say when they met. He hadn't wanted her to go on this trip, but she had gone despite his protests. She knew he was tiring of the frequent trips and her preoccupation with work but somehow she was unwilling to give it up. There was a time when she would have done so -- indeed, a time when she would never have taken on such a demanding schedule -- but things had changed since the book. She looked out the window again to put her mind elsewhere. She could now see thin lines of roads and tiny dots of houses and buildings as flight 217 prepared to land on the hard concrete runway laid down on once-fruitful Virginia farmland.
"Thera!" he said with excitement as he drew her to him and enfolded her in his arms. "Thank God you're back!"
Thera dropped her carry-on's and relaxed in his embrace. The stress of the trip seemed to melt away. As she looked over his shoulder and gazed absently at the arrivals monitor on the wall she wondered what she had been worried about. Perhaps she would have to talk to him about it. Perhaps they should discuss the time since the book was published. Perhaps they even should talk about Eleanor....
"Oh, Henry," she said as he released her, "I'm so glad to be back. This trip was no holiday. I don't think I've ever worked so hard. I didn't even have a chance to go to the theater or a concert."
He picked up her small duffel and the laptop case and as they walked to the baggage claim area Henry listened to Thera unburden herself about the trip. She went on and on, as if an emotional dam had burst within her. He wondered why she subjected herself to it all. He thought about Eleanor and winced. There would have to be an end to that -- but how?
To be continued....
