A week later, Joe and Helen stood just outside the gate which led to the Tom Nevers Field airport. No one knew they were here. They'd booked a flight from New York on one of Roy's planes. They were betting that, as long as they paid their bill, Roy wouldn't think to look at the names of his passengers. It had worked.
The building itself had not changed. "Are you ready for this?" Joe asked, turning to Helen.
Helen could only nod. For a year, she'd been away from everyone. Even Casey, who was often critical of Helen's life. But her nervousness about seeing her sister again could not dampen her excitement. Taking a deep breath, both walked through the gate, and into the familiar terminal.
They stood there, frozen for a moment. Then, before they knew it, they were surrounded. Their friends gasped at their sudden appearance. Joe and Helen were hugged by Brian, Fay, Casey, and Antonio. Even Roy came over to greet them.
"We love you all, and we're glad to see you," Joe said. "But Helen and I have something we'd really like to discuss with Brian before we all catch up."
"You're having a baby, aren't you?" Fay asked.
Helen smiled. "No, that's not the secret. Just let us talk to Brian for a minute, and then we'll tell everyone else, OK?"
Brian couldn't quite believe it. "You guys have something you want to tell me?"
Joe and Helen could only nod in response. They were so excited about telling Brian, they thought they might burst.
"Well, why don't we go in the office?" Brian asked. He pointed at the room which had once belonged to Joe, but now it was Brian's as he ran the airline by himself. The three of them walked in there, leaving the others standing there, stunned.
"Brian, you remember the money we got from Dad?" Joe asked as soon as they were alone.
"Yeah!" Brian replied. He remembered dipping into his share shortly after Joe left. It was the only way to get the creditors to stop calling.
"Well, Helen and I took our half when we went to Vienna, and I made some investments." Joe paused, waiting for Brian to make one of his usual quips about how Joe was too straight-laced.
"Yeah, and?" Brian said, too impatient to bother making fun of Joe at the moment.
"Well, those investments have paid off. Helen and I have doubled our money. We're rich!"
Overcome with shock, Brian could do nothing but hug his brother. "That's great. Now you can turn Sandpiper into the kind of airline you've always dreamed of."
Joe smiled. "Yes. And I plan to do just that. But first, Helen and I want to give you part of the money. You gave up a lot this past year, helping to run the airline so that I could leave. Now it's your turn. Go live in the Caymans for a couple of months."
"Are you guys serious?" Brian looked from his brother to Helen, trying to figure out if this was a joke.
"Very," Joe answered. "You've earned it. But I want you to come back. Because if Sandpiper's going to be the kind of airline I'm planning to make it, I want my best co-pilot here with me. OK?"
"You've got a deal," Brian said, shaking Joe's hand. He thought about the years he and Joe had spent here together, running the airline. Many times, Joe had urged his brother to take responsibility. But now, Joe was giving him a chance to spend a few months doing nothing. After the year he'd just had, running this place by himself, the idea seemed heavenly. "Thank you so much!"
Helen smiled. It was worth every penny they were giving away to see Brian so happy. "You're welcome. I've spent the last year playing my music, and it's been wonderful. But Joe and I missed this place like crazy. I've had a chance to live out my dream, and now there's nowhere else I want to be other than here. Joe's had his moment with Sandpiper. But you never got to do what you wanted. We just wanted to make sure you got your chance."
"I can't thank you guys enough. Running the business has been a real eye-opener for me, but I'm more than happy to hand it over to someone else now! It's nice to know that I can go lie on a beach somewhere, and know that Sandpiper's in good hands."
Joe stepped forward, placing his hands on Brian's shoulders. "It always was in good hands."
The love Brian felt for his older brother was overwhelming. He hugged Joe tightly. They really were here from Vienna. Now that they were back, it felt as if everything on this island was just as it was supposed to be.
The End