Page 87 of Every Almost

Without parental support, Katie's financial aid package collapsed. Loans required a co-signer they didn't have. Grants only covered a fraction, and Katie had missed most of the application dates since everything had changed so quickly in the last few months. The gap between what Charlie and Katie hadand what UCLA cost was a number that made Charlie stare at the kitchen counter for a long time.

They tried everything. Scholarship applications. Work-study programs. Appeals to the financial aid office. Nothing seemed to close the gap. Even the financial aid advisors that Charlie made appointments with over and over again ran out of options to suggest to her and Katie.

Katie's dream was slipping through their fingers, and Charlie could feel it happening slowly, then all at once.

So, they called Helen.

Helen listened to everything. She asked questions. She told them to think differently, to think outside the box. "What haven't you tried yet?" She walked them through options, most of which they'd already exhausted.

Then Helen said, "Charlie, honey, can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Katie looked at Charlie, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. Helen's voice came through the phone, warm and gentle. "I can hear your silence from here, Katie Wickett. Nothing to worry about, sweetheart. I just have some financial questions for Charlie."

Katie relaxed, handed the phone to Charlie, and stepped into the other room. Charlie pressed the receiver to her ear.

"I want to suggest something," Helen said. "And I want you to hear me out before you say no."

"Okay."

"Let's sell the Cub."

Charlie's hand tightened on the phone. "No."

"I asked you to hear me out."

"Helen, you can't sell Frank's plane."

"It's not Frank's plane anymore, Charlie. It's mine. And I'm telling you we should think about selling it." Helen's voice was calm and steady, the same voice she used when she was beingkind and immovable at the same time. "That plane has been sitting in that hangar since Frank passed. It's not flying. It's not being loved the way Frank loved it. Even you're not here to give it the loving care he did." Charlie closed her eyes at the truth through the phone. "But Katie... Katie canuseit to fly, Charlie. Katie can use it tosoar.It'll just be in a different direction, but it'll be in a direction made for Katie. And I think that is a much better use of Frank's legacy than a machine in a hangar collecting dust."

"Helen—"

"Frank would have wanted this with his whole heart. You know that, Charlie. He loved you girls—" She broke off for just a moment. "You know what he would say. He would say 'get the boss into that school and don't think twice about it.'"

Charlie pressed the heel of her hand against her eyes. She could see the hangar at Shelbyville airport, the flat stretch of pavement and grass, the corrugated hangars along the tree line. She could see Lock Haven Yellow catching the Indiana sun and the Continental A-65 under the cowling. She could feel the weight of the wings and hear Frank's voice:It's an engine that you know.

"What a wonderful gift his legacy could be," Helen said. "For our family."

Charlie didn't say anything for a long time. Then she said, "Okay."

"Good," Helen said, relief in her voice. "I'll work on it soon."

"Do you want us to fly out there to help with the preparations?"

"Oh no, dear. That won't be necessary."

Charlie, settling into acceptance, understood. "Okay. Would you like me to make some calls tomorrow?"

"Not tomorrow, Charlie," Helen answered, not saying anything further.

Charlie heard something in her voice. "Why not?"

"Oh, I didn't want to trouble you girls, but... well, I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. Just to have some tests done."

Charlie's throat constricted. "Tests? What kind of tests?"

"It's completely routine, honey, don't you worry. It's just because I'm gettin' old, you know. They want to check on everything." Helen's voice was light and dismissive, already moving past it.

Charlie held Helen's words in her heart but made a mental note to check in with Helen every day over the next week or so, until she received the results of all the tests.