"Coffee or tea, miss?"
Merlina blinked, pulling herself out of her thoughts. The flight attendant's voice was soft, practiced, like she'd said it a thousand times before. A cart rolled beside her, the scent of freshly brewed coffee curling into the air.
She inhaled.
"Coffee, please."
Her voice came out quieter than she intended. The attendant smiled politely and handed her a paper cup, steam rising in lazy spirals. Merlina wrapped her hands around it like it was the only warm thing left in her life.
Outside the window, the world was a blur of black sky and blinking wing lights. Belford was far behind now, swallowed by the clouds. She imagined the campus lights fading beneath them, the laughter in dorm hallways, the library corners that held too many secrets.
She sipped her coffee, staring into the dark like she could leave her memories behind somewhere over the Atlantic.
