Free Flying Backwards by Jennifer W Smith

runway. Over the continuous exhale of the air vents she could hear the plane engines rev. The aircraft sped up and lifted off the ground. Nora felt the seatbelt press against her chest as momentum pushed her forward. Here we go, Nora! She flew backwards, up, up, up into the sky.
    The first trip went off without a hitch. The flight left in the evening Philadelphia time and arrived in the morning London time. Working with the time change was challenging, but it was worth it. The other flight attendants told her to stay up until evening once in London; it was the best way to enjoy a layover. Even though all she wanted to do was nap when she arrived, she followed their suggestion. It paid off; she was able to take a city bus tour and do some shopping. The weather was cool and drizzly, so she invested in a lightweight raincoat. There was little space in her flight attendant roller-bag for souvenirs. While she was working she was only allowed the company-issue roller-bag and carry-on. Even her purse had to be stashed into one of those bags. She wondered how Bree would manage to travel so lightly.
    On the flight back she was careful not to burn her fingers on the hot food trays during dinner service as she had on the way over. During training, the trays had been room temperature and empty. She double-checked each supply cabinet latch to make sure it was fastened properly. She recalled the story the instructor told in training about leaving one cabinet unlatched; paper cups had launched themselves and rolled all over the galley and into the aisle during takeoff.
    When Nora returned to Philadelphia, Bree’s mother had arrived. Mrs. Royce had hired an interior designer to furnish the living/dining room and Bree’s bedroom and was here to oversee her pet project. Mrs. Royce checked into a high-end boutique downtown hotel, and she stayed for a few weeks. She made all the selections. She ran her choices by the girls, but if Bree disagreed it did not matter much. Her mother insisted the girls would like her preference once it was installed. Workers came and went all three weeks. The painters were the first to arrive. Furniture was delivered and drapes installed. When Nora returned home from a three-day trip there were new kitchen counter stools, new artwork hanging on the walls, new rugs, new kitchen pots and pans. The house looked amazing. Nora thanked Mrs. Royce. Although both girls were grateful, they were glad to see her finally go.
    Nora’s parents and sister Lizzy drove up to Philadelphia one Saturday in early April to check out the new house and spend the day with Nora. They were astonished by what Bree’s parents had provided for the girls.
    Bree was away on a trip. Nora’s mother was especially disappointed they were not meeting Nora’s new friend and roommate. Heidi made Nora promise to bring Bree home for a visit. Nora shared her travel stories throughout dinner. She had already been to London and Paris, and she was leaving for Madrid the next day.
    “The first thing I do is sign up for a city bus tour,” Nora said as she cut into her steak. “A flight attendant friend who’s been flying for a few years told me that’s a good way to start in every new city I visit. It gives a good overview. Then, each time I go back, I can tour buildings or museums or whatever caught my interest on the city tour.” As she chewed her meat she watched the three heads bob in agreement. Nora didn’t miss the glances her parents exchanged or the excited wonder in Lizzy’s praise.
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    Nora and Bree settled into their new routines once they finally had the place all to themselves; they were thrilled when they had the same days off. They got into the habit of leaving a notebook on the counter to write notes to each other. It came in handy when one of them was unable to call because she was in-flight or the time difference was crazy. Typically, notes would read something like: Help yourself to the leftover Chinese food–just got it