Page 53 of Too Sweet
Everyone follows the instructor into the hangar, and I’m struck that Cody didn’t say one word to Mia. He just walked right off. He needs a lesson on how to properly take care of a girl like her. But... I won’t be doing him any favors. It’s not Cody she wants. It’sme.
My grandad sits on one of the plastic chairs lining the hangar wall, and my grandma takes advantage of the portable coffee machine nearby while Noah’s asleep.
“Why aren’t you jumping?” Mia asks, following slowly in their steps. She’s in sneakers, her white, fitted tee tucked into a pair of high-waist jeans.
I love that she’s so tiny. I could fucking hide her in my arms without an issue. “I’ll jump if you’ll jump.”
“I wish I could.” She smiles small when we reach the table. “I really do, but you’ve not seen me on a plane. I’ll break down halfway up.”
“You only live once,” Grandad says. “Look at me! I’m eighty-two. I’m too old to do a lot of things I was afraid to do when I was your age, and I regret them all.”
“He’s right,” Grandma adds. “I think you should at least try. For us, the old farts whocan’t.”
“One day...” she muses, watching my family as they strap up.
Grandad doesn’t push further, and neither do I, even though I want to strap her in the harness and take her eighteen thousand feet above the ground to help her overcome the fear.
The skydiving party leaves the warehouse thirty minutes later. The jumpers split into three groups, board the planes, and soon enough, they’re in the air, one after the other.
“Where will they land?” Mia asks, glancing around as if expecting a big X spray-painted on the tarmac.
“Wherever they can. They should aim for the field.” I point ahead. “But I’m sure we’ll see at least one person land in the trees. My money’s on Cody.”
“I’d expect Conor to do something like that just for laughs.”
The planes rise steadily, circling above us for ten minutes before they reach the correct altitude, and everyone starts jumping out. Mia scrambles to her feet, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand.
There’s awe on her face as she watches my family join in one big circle, free-falling from eighteen thousand feet. I take my shades off, covering her eyes.
“Why aren’t they opening their parachutes?” she asks after thirty more seconds, her voice higher than usual.
“It takes one minute twenty to get to five thousand feet, baby.” I glance at my watch, catching a surprised, tight-lipped smile on my grandmother, who looks between Mia and me. Shit. I forgot they’re here. I also forgot Mia’s not mine, and I can’t call herbaby, no matter how good it feels. “Thirty more seconds before they can open the parachutes,” I add, doing my best to act casual.
No biggie.
Mia mouths numbers, counting down, neck craned to watch the sky. “They’re still falling!” she cries, ripping my shades off and gunning me down with those big eyes as if she wants me to get off my ass and... I don’t know... catch them?
“Look up,” I tell her, seeing the first parachute unfold and more follow in quick succession.
Mia lifts her hand, counting white dots in the sky. “That’s amazing!” She beams, bouncing on her feet.
I can’t suppress my smile when I watch how excited she is, stepping from one foot to another. She spins around, pumping her little fists, her excitement palpable.
“You want to jump, don’t you?”
“Um... I’m not sure. It seems like so much fun, but—”
I grab her hand, pulling her toward the hangar where two instructors stand at the door, watching the sky. “Don’t think. One step at a time. Harness first. That’s not scary, right?”
She shakes her head, tightening her grip around my fingers. “Don’t let me back down.”
“You need a safe word, Mia.” I turn to the instructors. “Get us ready.” I show them my skydiving license. “She’s tandem jumping with me.”
“As in, I’ll be strapped to you?”
“Yes,” the instructor supplies. “You’re certified, but company policy is that we always send at least one instructor out with you.”
“As long as she’s with me, I don’t care how many of you want to jump.”
