Daniel signed the final line after checking that the girls' actual locations had been recorded. He thanked her for handling the problem without asking his children to pretend it had not occurred. Captain Ruiz smiled at the twins and reached into the small pocket of her jacket, producing two silver pilot-wing pins.
"These are for you," she said, fastening one beside each birthday badge. "Happy birthday. You made a difficult afternoon easier by telling the truth and looking after each other."
Ruby examined the silver wings with delight. Pearl touched hers as though she might damage it by pressing too hard. "Thank you," she whispered. "Are you going to tell them we didn't ask to move?"
"Yes," Captain Ruiz said. "My report will say that, and so will the statements from the people who heard you. You were right to ask questions."
Walter Finch caught up with them at the end of the jet bridge, moving at his patient pace with the cane in one hand. He offered Pearl his word-search booklet, the cover bent at the corners and most of the easy puzzles already completed. "For the ride home," he explained. "I saved the difficult ones for the expert. Your sister looks like she might prefer a courtroom."
Ruby laughed. She shook his hand with exaggerated solemnity, while Pearl hugged him around the waist before he could protest. Daniel took the old man's phone number after Walter insisted there was no need, then promised to send a note of thanks to the address written on the back of the booklet. The ordinary generosity of a stranger felt almost overwhelming after a day shaped by people who had chosen not to listen.
At baggage claim, the girls spotted a video call from Grace. They crowded around Daniel's phone, both talking at once about the captain, the cakes, Walter Finch, and the silver wings. Grace listened with her familiar warm expression, though Daniel could see that she was carefully storing certain details for a conversation after the party. In the background, Biscuit barked at someone arriving through the front door.
"We've got your friends here already," Grace said. "Grandma and Grandpa Bell flew in a little earlier and they're helping with the decorations. You still want an airplane cake?"
"Yes!" both girls shouted.
"Then somebody better bring those pilots home," Grace said. "I have two candles that will not light themselves."
Daniel ended the call and helped his daughters toward the pickup area. Behind them, Richard and Celeste were leaving the aircraft with a member of the gate team, a conversation about their seats and the report taking place in low voices. Daniel did not approach. He had made one invitation and one boundary, and he intended to honor both of them until the people involved gave him a reason to change them.
The drive through Boston was full of birthday questions. Ruby wanted to know whether the cake had candy wheels, whether her friend Olivia would be there, and whether Mommy had remembered the paper wings. Pearl asked about the pilot's job and the difference between an airline crew report and the kind of report her teacher wrote when somebody broke a classroom rule. Daniel answered what he could and admitted what he did not know.