Free Falling
Chapter 2- The Climb
Once the plane reached cruising altitude and the seatbelt sign chimed off, the entire cabin seemed to relax.
Passengers began unbuckling their safety belts. A man across the aisle stood and stretched. Someone several rows ahead headed for the bathroom.
Overhead bins popped open as travelers searched for books, headphones, snacks, and chargers.
Beside her, Ellie pulled a pair of earbuds from her hoodie and tucked them into the seat pocket in front of her before settling back comfortably.
Dina, on the other hand, was having a much harder time relaxing seated next to the most attractive woman she’d ever encountered in an airport.
Possibly anywhere.
Her pulse still hadn’t completely recovered.
Reaching into her backpack, Dina pulled out her phone and powered it on. The screen lit up immediately, a flood of notifications appearing before she swiped them away.
Ignoring all of them, she switched to the front-facing camera. Casually and surprisingly discreet, she angled the phone slightly to her right.
Ellie was looking down the aisle, completely unaware, as the stewardess began passing out drinks.
Snap.
Dina immediately lowered the phone.
The photo wasn’t great, but her main features were visible and somehow that seemed like the important part.
Dina immediately opened her messages and sent it to Kat.
The responses came in rapid fire succession almost immediately upon delivery.
As Dina closed her thread with Kat and went to check her other unread messages, the phone buzzed with a system notification:
15% Battery Remaining
She groaned softly.
Of course.
She'd spent half the morning talking, texting, and scrolling. The battery never stood a chance.
With a sigh, she locked her phone and turned her attention to the inflight entertainment screen built into the back of the seat in front of her.
A movie sounded perfect.
She tapped the screen and the airline logo spun lazily loading the options.
She waited and tapped again when the spinning didn’t stop.
Still nothing changed.
"Come on," she muttered, a third attempt yielded identical results. The screen remained stick in an endless loop.
Beside her, Ellie glanced over. "Is it going slow?"
Dina nodded toward the malfunctioning screen. "I think it's broken."
Ellie watched the spinning logo for a moment. “Oh shit.”
"I was going to find a movie."
Ellie frowned sympathetically. Then, without hesitation, said, "Want to switch seats?"
Dina blinked. "What?"
"Mine works." She pointed to the screen in front of her. "You can take mine if you want, I was going to watch something on my phone anyways."
The offer was so immediate and genuine that it caught Dina off guard.
She smiled. "That's really nice, but its ok."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, thank you."
"Okay." Ellie settled back again, then her eyes dropped to the phone resting in Dina's lap. "You on Wi-Fi?"
“Yeah,” Dina nodded, "but the battery's almost dead."
As if on cue, she held up the screen showing the warning notification.
Without another word, Ellie leaned down and rummaged around her backpack for a moment, then emerged with a portable charging cube and a cable.
Dina watched curiously.
Ellie placed the charger in her hand. "There."
Dina looked down, then back up. "You don't have to—"
"I know,” Ellie smiled. At the same time, she reached forward and removed one of her wireless earbuds from the charging case, dropping that into Dina's palm as well.
Dina stared. "What are you doing?"
Ellie was already unlocking her phone. "Problem solving."
A few taps later, the familiar red Netflix logo appeared on the screen and Ellie tilted the phone slightly toward the space between them.
"I'll share," Ellie smirked, tucking the right earbud in place.
Dina couldn't help, but laugh. "You carry emergency entertainment supplies with you?"
"I'm a professional."
"A professional what?"
Ellie's grin appeared. "Life saver."
Dina shook her head, smiling. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Dina plugged her phone into the charging cube and felt immediate relief when the charging icon appeared. She slipped the left earbud into her ear.
Beside her, Ellie shifted slightly closer so they could both comfortably see the screen.
"What are we watching?" Dina asked.
Ellie scrolled through the options. "Hmm."
"This is important,” Dina commented before smirking. “No pressure…”
"Agreed,” Ellie smiled and paused on an action movie.
Dina made a face. "No."
"Wow, no love for Curtis and Viper...”
"I'm not in the mood for explosions."
"Harsh,” Ellie deadpanned, continuing to scroll.
A documentary. A thriller. A drama. Each received immediate commentary from one or both of them.
It wasn’t long before they were both laughing, shoulder-to-shoulder over the phone, debating movies as though they'd known each other for years.
“How does a comedy sound?” Ellie asked, selecting the category and slowly browsing.
"It’s kind of the failsafe genre.”
Ellie nodded and continued swiping.
Suddenly she stopped, her entire posture changing.
“I’ve got it,” Ellie said, turning the phone completely towards Dina. "Have you seen this?"
Dina looked at the title.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
She shook her head. "No."
“What?” Ellie stared at her. "You've never seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall?”
Dina laughed at the sheer disbelief in her voice. “Nooo?"
“Oh, this is perfect.” Ellie looked genuinely delighted. The grin spreading across her face was downright infectious.
Dina found herself smiling right back. "You're pretty excited over there."
"Because now I get to watch it with someone who's never seen it." She pointed at the screen. "This movie is hilarious."
“You’re really talking this up,” Dina said, eyes narrowed. "It better live up to the hype."
Ellie bowed dramatically. "It will."
"You sound awfully certain."
"I am." Then, completely serious, she asked, “Do you need to use the bathroom first?"
Dina blinked. "There is absolutely no way this movie is that funny."
Ellie looked offended. "Trust me."
"That's a dangerous phrase…"
"Trust me."
The confidence in her voice only made Dina laugh harder. "Fine."
"Is that a no?"
"That’s a no."
"No excuses later…"
Dina nodded her head. "I got it."
Ellie smiled triumphantly. Then she hit play and the familiar studio logos appeared on screen. Ellie settled back in her seat looking entirely too pleased with herself.
Beside her, Dina adjusted the earbud and glanced over. "You know if this isn't good, I'm going to give you so much shit."
“I'd expect nothing less.”
Dina smiled as the movie began.
xxxxxxxxx
The end credits began to roll.
Around them, many passengers were dozing or quietly watching their own movies. The steady drone of the engines filled the background.
Dina removed the earbud and sat back in her seat, her chuckle still lingering.
Ellie did the same. Then she folded her arms and waited.
Dina immediately recognized the expression. "Don't."
“Don’t what?” A grin tugged at the corner of Ellie's mouth. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"I don't."
Dina rolled her eyes.
Ellie's smug smile grew wider. The silence stretched and she continued waiting patiently, like a predator.
“Fine,” Dina sighed and Ellie's eyebrows rose expectantly. "You were right, it was good."
The smile appeared instantly. A victorious one.
Dina pointed at her. "I hate that look."
"What look?"
"That one."
“That's literally just my face,” Ellie laughed.
Dina groaned. "It was funny."
"I know.”
Dina narrowed her eyes. "You've been waiting two hours to hear me say that, haven't you?"
"Give or take,” Ellie smiled and settled deeper into her seat looking entirely too pleased with herself. "I already knew you liked it."
Dina shook her head. "What gave it away?"
"You laughed so hard during the Dracula puppet song, the flight attendant almost checked on us."
"I did not."
Ellie gave her a pointed look.
Dina laughed despite herself. "Okay, maybe that part got me."
Ellie pumped her fist triumphantly.
The smile lingered between them for a moment before Dina glanced back at her darkened phone screen and checked the time.
“Think we have time for another one?” Ellie asked.
“I think so, “ Dina replied, doing a quick mental calculation. “I think we’re about halfway there.”
“Wow…”
Was that a look of disappointment?!
The flight had passed much faster than either of them expected.
Ellie unlocked her phone and held it out to Dina. “Your turn.”
“My turn? Why my turn?”
“You picked apart half my suggestions earlier.”
“I did not, I simply had…opinions.”
Ellie laughed. “Well, now it’s your turn to choose.”
Dina accepted the device and began scrolling through their options.
Beside her, Ellie gathered their empty soda cans and the crumpled snack wrappers they’d accumulated during the first movie.
Just then, a flight attendant came down the aisle pushing a small trash bag.
Ellie held up the collection halting the attendant who smiled as Ellie dropped everything into the bag.
“Thank you.”
“Thanks,” Dina echoed before returning her attention to the screen. She barely scrolled another few seconds before stopping. “I’ve got it.”
Ellie raised an eyebrow. “That was fast.”
Dina turned the phone so Ellie could see.
Anchorman.
Ellie’s face lit up immediately. “Classic.”
“You’ve seen it?”
“Who hasn’t?! I’ve probably watched it twenty times, I can practically recite it word for word.”
Dina laughed. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Twenty-one won’t hurt though.”
That was all the convincing Dina needed and tapped play.
As the opening scene began, Ellie shifted slightly closer so they could both see the screen comfortably once again and Dina settled back into her seat with a smile.
“Just so we’re clear,” Ellie began, “if you don’t laugh at this…”
Dina looked over.
“…I’m questioning your sense of humor.”
Dina laughed. “I’ve seen it before, I think I’m safe.”
“We’ll see…”
Shaking her head, Dina tucked the earbud comfortably into place.
The familiar jazz flute riff filled the tiny earbud and once again, the rest of the cabin seemed to fade.
They settled into a comfortable silence as the movie unfolded. Every few minutes one of them would quietly quote a line before it happened (usually Ellie).
Dina found Ellie’s reactions almost as funny as the movie itself.
She knew exactly which jokes were coming, yet still reacted every time.
“You’re laughing before the punchline,” Dina whispered.
“I can’t help it.”
The flight attendant passed by once more as passengers settled in for the remainder of the flight.
Around them, the cabin had grown noticeably quieter. Several people were asleep with neck pillows askew. Others stared out their windows at the blanket of clouds below.
The engines hummed with the steady reassurance unique to cruising altitude.
Without thinking about it, Dina glanced sideways.
Ellie was smiling at the screen, completely absorbed in the flick.
It struck Dina then how strange the day had been, how one woman in a Red Sox hat and faded hoodie had changed the entire trajectory of her day.
She smiled to herself.
There was something comforting about the realization that life could still surprise her.
That healing didn’t always arrive dramatically. Sometimes it arrived disguised as an airport passenger.
Or an offering to share an earbud with someone who felt oddly familiar despite being a complete stranger a few hours ago.
As Ron Burgundy delivered another ridiculous line, Ellie laughed—a full, unguarded laugh that drew one from Dina too.
Ellie glanced over.
“What?” Dina asked.
“Nothing…you’ve just got that smile again.”
Dina looked back at the movie, unable to suppress it. “I guess I’m just having a better day than I expected.”
Ellie’s expression softened. “Good, I’m glad.”
There was nothing performative about the words. No attempt to be profound. Just simple sincerity.
And Dina believed her.
She looked back toward the window, where the afternoon sun cast a golden glow across the wing.
For the first time in weeks, thoughts of her ex didn’t feel heavy or occupy every corner of her mind.
Instead, those thoughts had quietly made room for something else.
Curiosity.
Hope.
And the unexpected possibility that sometimes, when one chapter closes, the next can begin in the most random places.
Like seat 18B.
Next to a stranger who’d become the best part of the trip.
xxxxxxx
The last few scenes of Anchorman played out to a chorus of muffled laughter from the two of them.
Ellie, despite having seen it more times than she could count, was laughing just as hard as Dina.
“I swear,” Dina said between chuckles, “this movie gets funnier every time I see it.”
“That’s what makes it beautiful,” Ellie replied, wiping a tear from the corner of one eye.
The end credits rolled, accompanied by the upbeat music of Afternoon Delight.
Ellie slipped the earbud from her ear and stretched her shoulders with a contented sigh.
“Well I’ll hand it to you, you have excellent taste in comedies,” Dina smiled, handing over the borrowed earbud.
“I know.”
“And you’re insufferably smug about it.”
Ellie shrugged. “I know.”
Dina laughed and nudged her lightly with her elbow. “I regret giving you this satisfaction.”
“No, you don’t,” Ellie deadpanned before breaking into a smirk.
They sat quietly for a moment, the phone screen fading to black between them.
Ellie reached forward and switched the inflight entertainment display over to the flight tracker.
The small airplane icon had crept almost all the way across the map.
“Huh,” she murmured.
Dina leaned over to look.
“We’re already that close?”
“Looks like it.”
As if on cue, the overhead speakers crackled to life. A burst of static filled the cabin. Then the captain’s voice emerged through the distortion.
“Ladies and gentlemen, from the flight deck, we’ve begun our initial descent into Denver. Local weather is…”
The rest was largely unintelligible. The ancient speakers seemed determined to lose their battle against technology.
Dina caught maybe every third word.
Beside her, Ellie laughed. "I think he said we're landing."
"Bold assumption."
The announcement concluded in another burst of static.
Almost immediately, the atmosphere in the cabin shifted. Passengers paused their movies. Books disappeared into backpacks. The soft clicks of tray tables locking into place echoed through the rows. A flight attendant walked down the aisle reminding travelers to stow electronics and fasten their seatbelts.
Ellie unlocked her phone one final time. After a quick glance at whatever notification had appeared, she switched it to airplane mode and slipped it into the pocket of her hoodie.
Dina watched the movement then looked out the window as the brilliant white blanket of clouds began to break apart.
Patches of Colorado appeared below—long ribbons of highway, clusters of neighborhoods, and fields stretching toward the horizon of snow capped mountains.
The reality of landing settled unexpectedly heavily in her chest.
The flight had gone by far too quickly. A few hours earlier she'd been sitting alone in her seat contemplating giving the  romance novel another go when Ellie had sat down beside her. And somehow the entire afternoon had disappeared.
Now they were about to land.
The thought that they might simply walk off the plane and go their separate ways sat uncomfortably in her stomach.
Maybe that was how these things worked. People met. Talked. Shared a flight. Then disappeared back into their own lives.
Still, Dina didn't particularly like the idea.
Ellie shifted beside her. "So is Denver your final stop? Will you finally be home?”
Dina turned toward her, shaking her head.
"No, I have a three-hour layover before my connecting flight home to LA."
Ellie's eyebrows rose. "Really?"
Dina nodded. "Unfortunately.”
“So do I.” A grin appeared on Ellie's face. “I'm on the 5:15 to LAX.”
“Seriously?” Dina blinked. "That's my flight."
"Yeah."
A ridiculous amount of relief washed through Dina—enough that she hoped it didn't show on her face. It would be awfully difficult to explain why having approximately 6 more hours with her felt like receiving good news.
Instead she settled for, "well, I guess we're both stuck in Denver."
Ellie smiled. "It looks that way."
Outside the window, the city grew larger beneath the clouds.
Inside the cabin, Dina found herself smiling. The layover she'd been dreading suddenly didn't seem so bad.
xxxxxxxxx
The moment the aircraft came to a complete stop, the cabin erupted into motion.
Overhead bins popped open. Passengers stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the aisle, eager to shave thirty seconds off their arrival time.
Dina remained seated. There wasn't much point in rushing just to wait. It's not like she was in a hurry to get anywhere with an extended layover ahead of her.
Beside her, Ellie stood and effortlessly reached into the overhead compartment. Before Dina could even get to her feet, Ellie had already pulled down Dina's carry-on.
"Oh, I can get it," Dina said.
"Can you?" Ellie glanced over her shoulder. "This thing is heavy, did you pack a library in here? Some pet rocks?"
"Maybe. You never know when you'll need to use a heavy bookmark. Or a doorstop."
"Noted."
"Seriously though, I can get it."
The grin that followed made it clear Ellie wasn't remotely intimidated. Still, she set the duffel bag on her vacated seat next to Dina.
A few minutes later, the line finally began moving. They shuffled off the plane and into the boarding bridge with the rest of the passengers.
The stale cabin air gave way to the cooler, temperature-controlled expanse of the terminal.
Denver International bustled around them. Travelers hurried in every direction. Rolling suitcases rattled across the floor. Parents urged their children to keep up. Announcements echoed overhead.
Dina adjusted the strap of her backpack and fell into step beside Ellie.
"So," Ellie shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, slowing her strides to accommodate Dina's shorter ones. "Any exciting layover plans?"
"Oh, they're thrilling," Dina laughed. "I was thinking I'd grab a sandwich and read...maybe sit near the gate and stare into the void for three hours."
Ellie nodded thoughtfully and glanced over.
"As riveting as that sounds," she smiled, "I'm heading over to the brewery in the next terminal."
Dina's eyebrows lifted. "There's a brewery in the airport?"
"Yeah, can you believe that shit?," Ellie chuckled and pointed ahead. "If you want to eat actual food instead of a sad airport sandwich that's probably been sitting there all day, you're welcome to join me."
Dina smiled, the offer catching her off guard. Not because she didn't want to go, it was quite the opposite. The thought of spending more time with Ellie was embarrassingly appealing.
Still, she hadn't expected the invitation.
"It's cozy," Ellie shrugged. "Makes you forget you're in an airport for a little while…what do you say?"
"That sounds nice, I think I'll take you up on that.” Dina smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Ellie smiled, glancing her way.
As they approached the tram station, Ellie reached over and casually grabbed the handle of Dina's carry-on.
Before Dina could react, Ellie had also slipped Dina's backpack from her shoulder. "I can carry my own stuff."
Ellie slung both bags over one shoulder with alarming ease. The movement barely seemed to inconvenience her.
Dina stared. "You even said my bag was heavy."
Ellie laughed, the sound warm and effortless. "I was just giving you shit, this is nothing compared to what I have to carry at work."
Dina narrowed her eyes. The woman looked like she could probably carry a refrigerator if properly motivated.
"At least let me take one."
"Nope," Ellie's grin widened. "I was a pack mule in another life, it would insult my ancestors."
Dina barked out a laugh, relenting. “Well, we wouldn't want that, now, would we?”
For a woman she'd met only a few hours ago, Ellie had become remarkably difficult to argue with.
Not that it would stop Dina from attempting to, the fact she had the opportunity to keep trying was thrilling.
