Don't Promise Me Forever

35 | in which a flight attendant gives great life advice

The airplane cabin was dimmed.

Passengers tapped at screens, choosing between the latest Hollywood  action movie or a horror flick. An air hostess passed through the aisle,  handing out cheap plastic earbuds and cups of water. Everything was  dark, except for a seat near the back of the plane; white light bathed a  young woman's face in an eerie glow.

Harper held her camera, clicking through the photos she'd taken. They  were six hours into the flight, which meant that they had to be — she  did a mental calculation — somewhere above the Atlantic? New Brunswick?

She flipped to the next photo.

Diana, leaning over David as he typed on a laptop in the kitchen;  their bodies were positioned so that they almost formed a heart.

She flipped again.

Griffin, passing a glass of champagne to Cass; her eyes were fixed on  the drink, but Griffin was watching her intently, as if whatever she  was saying was the most interesting thing in the world.

She flipped to the next photo, then paused.

Lawson.

He was sprawled in the tree above the bridge, one leg dangling  carelessly off the edge. He was dressed in a cricket jumper, his dark  hair unruly despite his best attempts to tame it. She'd caught him  mid-laugh in the photograph, his eyes wide with surprise, a hand  reaching towards the camera.

That's going to be a terrible picture of me, he'd said.

Harper ran her thumb over the screen.

"Water?" a voice asked.

Harper's head snapped up. The flight attendant was looking at her  expectantly, a kerchief wrapped around her neck and a plastic cup  clutched in one hand.

"Oh." Harper shook her head. "I'm good, thanks."

The flight attendant leaned closer, her eyes on the camera. "Is that your boyfriend? He's very handsome."

"No." Harper swallowed. "He's... A friend."

"I see." Her voice was neutral. "You're a photographer?"

"Not really."

One penciled eyebrow raised. "What do you mean, not really?"

"I don't do it professionally," Harper clarified. "These are just  photos that I took of my friends and family. I was messing around,  really."

"Darling," the woman said, "I know what messing around looks like,  and that isn't it." She turned back to her cart. "You're very talented."

"Oh." Harper could feel her cheeks growing hot. "Well, thank-you."

"Here." The flight attendant glanced around and then handed her a  packet of Biscoff. Harper took it, and the woman winked. "You looked  like you could use something to cheer you up. Don't tell anyone."

The cart wheeled away.

Harper turned back to the camera. She flipped through dozens of  photographs; her intention had been to examine each one for strengths  and weaknesses, to look at the aperture and shutter speed and make a  judicious selection about which ones to keep.

A lump rose in her throat.

There were a handful of people that had told Harper she had talent.  Diana. Her father. Griffin. Lawson. Lawson's parents. Mrs. Gates, her  third-grade teacher. But maybe this was what she'd needed — maybe she'd  needed to hear it from a total stranger.

Maybe she'd needed to hear it from herself.

Because these were good pictures, Harper realized. And, okay,  were they professional level? No. But there was time for that. As Mrs.  Gates had once said, what mattered was raw instinct; the rest would  follow.

She lowered the camera. Oh, god, Harper thought. I'm going to drop out of university, aren't I? I'm going to take a photography course instead.

For the first time, the idea didn't scare her.

It excited her.

A/N: Hello lovely readers,

Thank you so much for your guesses on the previous chapter! I loved reading them. And you nailed it — Alisdair's love interest is named Rosie ;)

I can't believe that this is the end of "Don't Promise Me Forever"... I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. A HUGE thank-you to everyone that's made it this far in the story; you make writing a joy.

Question of the Day: what was your favourite moment or character in the story?

Affectionately,

J.K.

p.s. Alisdair and Rosie's story will be launching in October 2022, so stay tuned!