Caroline

The plane was his escape.

He would think about it the entire day, daydreaming of flight and the rush of adrenaline that accompanied soaring through the air.

Once he got home, he would throw his things down on the kitchen table and rush out to the dock where the seaplane was securely anchored. Bluegrass Lake was one of the only bodies of water in Kansas large enough for a plane to take off on, even one as miniature as his Caroline.

Caroline, his wife, had gotten him flying lessons for his 37th birthday. The memory of how much he grumbled as she dragged him down to the local airport still made him smile to this day.

But he was hooked after the first flight. Six months later, he received his amateur license. He would fly from time to time, renting a plane to fly to a nearby airport with Caroline, who always enjoyed the flights. They were romantic getaways from the usual business of the law firm they both worked at in Kansas City.

And then came the accident and Caroline was gone.

Rob received quite a good amount of life insurance after her death. He didn't know what to do with the money so he bought a plane, renaming her Caroline.

And when he was in the sky he could think about his wife in total privacy and pretend she was next to him in the cabin. In the sky, there was no need for mourning because Caroline was with him.