Maya tugged on my sleeve, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “A real cottage on the beach, Daddy? Where we can hear the waves from the window like Mama used to tell me about in stories?”
I looked from Maya’s eager face to Captain Hayes’s steady, earnest eyes. Realizing refusal would only hurt his desire to repay an old debt, I gave in.
“Thank you, Thomas,” I whispered, nodding. “We would be truly honored to stay at your family’s cottage. Elena loved Wrightsville Beach more than any other place in the whole world.”
“It’s settled then,” Thomas declared, slapping his knee lightly before standing up. “My wife, Sarah, will meet us at the arrivals gate. She’s already preparing the cottage guest suite for you two.”
The captain returned to the flight deck to prepare for our descent. The attendant brought Maya a warm chocolate cookie and treated her like royalty for the rest of the flight.
