Clove: Engagement Day
The raindrops were falling on the glass curtain wall of Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport, like hesitant streams.
Through the glass of the terminal, Albright Ryan gazed at the planes on the tarmac, their silhouettes indistinct in the misty rain. Her left hand instinctively traced the ring on her right ring finger—though it was still unattached, one would be placed there in three hours. Tom had promised to ask her that question at three thousand feet, when the sunset bathed the wings in golden light.
“ OLIVELLA 。”
A familiar voice came from behind. She turned and saw Tom Hudson leaning against the doorframe, his flight jacket casually draped over his shoulder, his lips curved into that slightly mischievous smile she’d loved for four years.
“Have you checked?” she asked.
“Old lady’s doing well,” Tom said, walking over and wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her forehead, “except for that damned voice control system acting up again. The radio keeps dropping out, and the voice alerts are half a second late.”
O ‘Blade’s body stiffened slightly. “You haven’t been practicing?”
“I’ve booked next Wednesday,” Tom waved his hand as if shooing away a pesky fly. “Just a minor hiccup. You know the RV-7 as well as I do—occasionally throws a tantrum, but fundamentally reliable.”
“This isn’t about temperament—it’s a safety hazard,” her voice was calm, yet every word was perfectly calibrated. “In formation flying, a half-second delay could mean—”
“That means I need to focus more,” Tom interrupted, cupping her face. “Let’s not talk about that today. It’s a special day.”
His thumb caressed her cheek, and the pleading in his eyes melted her heart. In the distance, their two Van’s RV-7s stood side by side in front of the hangar, their red-and-white paint still vivid against the gray sky. They had spent eighteen whole months assembling them together, each rivet bearing witness to their quarrels, laughter, and late-night coffee.
“I’m just worried,” she said softly.
“I know,” Tom kissed her forehead. “That’s why I love you. My safety officer, my guiding star, my Ollie.”
The rain began to ease, a crack appeared in the clouds, and sunlight poured down like molten gold. Tom’s eyes lit up: “Look! Heaven is on our side. Ready to take off?”