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I spun around. “I’mreally doing this. None of you have to. It was something Percy, Manns, and Stilts did together on their last day alive, and Percy always said it was the most incredible feeling in the world, floating down with his best friends. I want to experience what he experienced with them, and I want to experience it with my best friends ... you girls. I know I’ll feel closer to him while doing it. But I also think I’ll feel even closer to you. This ... this is important to me.” I paused, swallowing over the words that got stuck in my throat. “You’re all important to me like they were. I couldn’t jump with them back in ‘Nam, and they aren’t alive now to do this with me. And you ladies? You’re my best friends now. You’re the ones I want there with me, holding hands as we soar across the sky ... feeling what Percy, Manns, and Stilts felt that last day of their friendship. I know it’s scary, but I hope you’ll come and share this memory with me. But I’m not forcing anyone.”
They stood side by side, each staring at me with tears in their eyes.
“Well, shit. When you put it that way ...” Alice sighed and stepped forward, pulling me in for an incredibly rare hug.
The other girls followed suit, and the three of us stood beside the plane, squeezing each other tight until Lucas called us in.
With a deep still breath, Sylvie said, “Okay. We’ve got this, ladies.”
“I’m so scared, but I have to trust God will keep us all safe.” Doris lifted her chin high. “I trust Him. I really learned that last year when I fell in with the sharks. He kept me safe then, and He showed me my friends were always there for me no matter what. Marge, you dove headfirst into danger to be with me in that water. Now it’s my turn to face the danger so I can be there for you. And I trust God will protect us until we are safely back on the ground.”
Alice shrugged. “I’m freaking out, so I had a few sips of vodka. Okay. More than a few. I’m a little drunk, so whatever. At least I won’t feel pain if we spla—”
“Alice!” Sylvie gave her a gentle shove.
“We’ll be fine. Let’s go,” Alice corrected, then led the way up the steps onto the plane.
We got into our seats and strapped in while they readied us for takeoff. Unlike a commercial flight, it only took minutes before we barreled down the runway and launched into the air. My stomach dropped as the plane lifted, and that excitement I felt on the ground soared as high as the plane climbing into the sky. When we got closer to jump height, Lucas stood and gave us one last rundown of the rules before it was go-time.
“Now, it’s extra important you all follow my directions to the letter. We don’t normally do group tandem jumps at the same time because it’s more difficult, but we four are experienced enough to accomplish it since it was your wish,” Lucas said. “And we’re all about granting wishes here!”
When we’d found out we would have to jump one at a time, which was standard for first-time jumpers, we’d all balked and been ready to cancel. My dream wasn’t just to jump ... it was to jump with my best friends. Together. After telling Bryce the story of Percy, Manns, and Stilts, plus the pact the Widows and I had made about our adventures, Bryce made some calls and got the best jumpers in the area to help give us our dream of jumping together. They’d gotten us a bigger plane that would allow us to jump within seconds of each other so we could experience the freefall together. It was more difficult for them, but they were as excited now as we were to help us accomplish our wish.
“This is it, ladies! The moment you’ve been waiting for!” Bryce said as he stood. “I’m so excited to be part of your journey! Now, everyone, find your partner and get hooked up!”
Alice practically launched across the plane to get hooked up to Bryce. I moved over to Lucas and backed against him so he could attach us. When the pilot announced we were nearing the drop zone, they moved us toward the open doors, with two Widows at each one.
“Alright, ladies! This is gonna be the best day of your life!” Bryce shouted from beside me, where he was attached to Alice.
The door opened, and the wind slammed into me, nearly taking my breath away. Then I saw the ground looming below, and it actually did take my breath away.
Completely.
Like when the kangaroo had punched me in the gut, I struggled to take my next breath. But I couldn’t. My lungs simply refused to inflate.
The same panic I’d felt when I’d been sucked under that wave, unable to get up for air, overcame me, paralyzing every muscle in my body. My chest contracted and spasmed as my body trembled so hard my knees almost gave out. Blood whooshed through my veins like a racecar and revved my heart so fast it felt as if it might burst.
What the hell were you thinking?was all I could process as I stared out into the vast open space separating me from the ground below ... the ground I imagined hurdling toward after my chute didn’t open and my body hit and shattered into a million pieces.
The fear amplified to unbearable when I realized how close I’d been to death in that ocean. How much I had wanted to live and to get home to my Roxie. How stupid I had felt nearly giving up everything I finally had for a fleeting thrill.
And now I was about to do it again.
No. No, no, no, no, no.
“Wait!” I screamed, pushing back against Lucas with enough force to step him further into the plane. “I can’t do this! I can’t! I don’t want to!”
“Oh, thank God!” Alice breathed.
“What? What’s going on?” Sylvie asked from behind me.
I shook my head hard, leaning into Lucas as the fear crippled me. “I changed my mind! New wish! I want a new wish. This isn’t it. This isn’t what I want.”
“Whoa, now. You’re okay,” Lucas soothed. “Let’s take a break for a second.”
He called something to the pilot and moved with me to turn us toward my three best friends, all still hooked up to their tandem partners.
“Just take a deep breath,” he said.
