"I'll be in to see you as soon as I can," Hattie said and touched Rayford's shoulder as they stepped into the cabin of the plane.
"I look forward to it," he smiled. She pulled her hand away when she saw another flight attendant walking towards them.
"Captain Steele," she said with a smile.
He tilted his cap. "I know you ladies can take care of our passengers."
"Yes Captain," Hattie smiled.
Rayford walked into the cockpit and started his pre-flight paperwork as he waited for Chris Smith to come in. An hour or so later they got off the ground and headed back towards the states.
For the first time in several days, Rayford realized he wasn't wearing his wedding band. He'd taken it off after talking to Irene. He felt justified in his relationship with Hattie, but somewhere deep down he felt a small level of guilt. Rayford pulled the ring out of his wallet and slid it back into place on his finger. Even though he'd worn the same band for twenty years it looked and felt foreign on his hand- just like the place he'd fallen in his relationship with Irene. The entire ride back to Des Plaines from Chicago, Hattie rested her hand on his. The cool touch made him smile and he tilted his hand occasionally to squeeze it. Before they got to her condo, Hattie laid her head on Rayford's shoulder. She was reluctant to get up when he pulled into a parking spot right in front of her building.
"I'll see you in a few days. We have another flight Monday."
"That's several days Ray."
"Maybe I can come over this weekend. We can talk about our future."
"What future? You said you love me, but we both know you won't leave Irene."
"Let me try to work out a few things out and maybe I could. It's all about taking care of Raymie. He's eleven years old. Soon he'll be old enough to understand that parents have problems and don't always stay together."
Hattie nodded in response to his statement. "So I'll see you Monday?"
"I'll pick you up early and we can go for breakfast before the flight. Irene knows I won't be home until Thursday. That gives us a few days to talk."
She smiled and gently kissed his cheek before she got out of the car and closed the door. He watched to make sure she got in before driving off. When he got to the house Irene was alone sitting on the couch reading her Bible.
Great, Rayford thought, she's ready to pounce for my attitude in London.
He put down his flight bag and stood there a few minutes before he couldn't wait any longer. "Where's Raymie?"
Irene looked over at him. "Rayford, you're home... He's at his friend's house down the block."
"Yeah," he rubbed his shoulder. "Okay... Well, I took somebody home so she didn't have to wait for a cab."
"Miss Durham?" Irene didn't even try to hide her concern that time.
"Yes, she needed somebody and I didn't want to leave her all alone."
"How kind of you," she said sarcastically and tried to refrain from rolling her eyes.
"Irene..."
She sighed. "Rafe, I'm sorry for pushing about church. You promised Raymie you'd go and I should have left it at that when you were so far away. It could have waited until you got home." She walked over, wrapped her arm around him and leaned into the same shoulder Hattie rested her head on just an hour before. He'd always found himself attracted to Irene, even at forty, but right then he found himself wanting to hold Hattie instead.
"I can't go to church this week."
"Rayford, you told Raymie you would. He's been so excited."
"I can't. You can tell him that."
"If you aren't going, you'll be the one to tell him and break your promise. That's something you've become fairly comfortable with."
"Irene!"
She shrugged and pulled away from him. "How can you look at him and say no again?"
"I wasn't thrilled with the idea of going before. They don't need or want people like me in your church," he muttered.
"What in the world are you talking about Rafe? Church is just as much for you as it is us, maybe even more so."
"I just can't do it. I'm not going."
Irene turned away from him for a while before she looked back up at him with tears in the corners of her eyes. "What changed when you went to England? You didn't like church, but never said you weren't the kind of person for church." She was silent for a long time. "'I've never beat about the bush with you Ray."
"Yes, one thing I admire. You are direct and to the point."
She nodded. "You have spent a lot of time with this Miss Durham- taking her home from the airport, you're on a lot of the same flights, do you have something going on with her?"
"What?"
"I smelled the Chinese food Rayford! I trust you because you have always been my straight arrow captain, but I'm smarter than you give me credit for sometimes. I feel you slipping away." She sniffled, but fought to keep her composure. "Are you seeing her?" Rayford couldn't look at her. He was surprised that she'd even been able to realize things were getting that bad between them or the connection he'd had with Hattie due to her preoccupation with the church. "Your silence has said it all."
"Irene," he tried to get a hold of her, but she refused. "It wasn't going to be like this... You weren't supposed to find out this way." He said softly.
"Like that would make it any better?" Her eyes were stone as she glared at him, but then softened as she started to think of their son. "We... we won't tell Raymie... He doesn't need to know. Not yet, not until I've figured out what to do." She paused and looked him dead in the face. "Do you love her? Is your relationship with her over or is ours?"
"I don't know," he finally muttered just barely able to squeeze the words out. With that, Irene rushed up the stairs.
