He takes my hand and leads me over to where the pilot is holding open the door.

“Hey, Toby,” James greets him warmly.

“James,” Toby crows. “Good to see you again, man. How’ve you been?”

“Oh, you know, can’t complain.” They do some kind of guy handshake where they bump fists a few times, wiggle fingers, and end with butting shoulders. I try to stifle my laughter but fail.

“What?” James asks defensively.

“Nothing.”

He turns back to Toby. “How’s life treating you?”

“Yeah, good, thanks. Wife’s about to have our second child in a few weeks. Another girl to twist Daddy around her little finger.”

James laughs and I watch him fondly. I’m beginning to realize he is friendly like this with everyone, that he is genuinely interested in people and really listens when they talk. It makes me feel warm inside.

“OK.” Toby consults his clipboard. “Wind’s picking up over the ranges so we need to get this show on the road. You guys get in and buckle up while I load your bags.”

My nerves pick up again as I step up into the helicopter, running my eyes around appraisingly.

“Take the window seat,” James says. “I don’t want you to miss the view.”

We are in a row of four seats behind the pilot’s seat. I take the seat James is pointing to and he helps me fasten the seat belts and tighten them until he is satisfied. Toby closes the door and checks it’s securely locked into place, then climbs into his own seat and puts his headphones on. He gestures over his shoulder and James picks up headsets hanging in front of us.

“Put this on,” he says.

“Why?”

“To help cover the noise of the blades,” he explains. “Also so we can all communicate once we’re in the air.”

“You’ve done this before once or twice, I take it,” I say, doing as I’m told. Instantly, the world is muffled. Toby gives us the thumbs-up and James gives one back. It’s not long before the helicopter is going, and I’m amazed by how loud it is, even with the headphones. James gives me a questioning look and I smile to show I am OK. He reaches over and picks up my hand off my lap, and as I look down at his long fingers wrapped around my own, I feel a delicious sensation inside.

I can’t help it; I close my eyes while we lift off. I try to keep them open but the sight of the ground rushing away makes me feel queasy, so I close my eyes and tighten my grip on James’s hand instead. He gives me a reassuring squeeze. It calms me. Besides, surely fate isn’t so ironic as to take a dying girl and kill her prematurely in a helicopter crash.

Toby pushes a button in front of him and I hear a click in my headphone, followed by his mechanical voice in my ear.

“You guys OK back there?”