Featured Author: Toni Shiloh
I settled into my seat wishing I could lean back, but airplane rows were so small, and I didn’t want to encroach on the person’s space behind me. I sighed, glancing out of the window while my stomach churned. Flying always filled me with apprehension.
“Rose, can I get you anything?” Julie asked. My roommate was a flight attendant and had secured a good deal on this flight for me.
“No, thanks. I think I’m gonna take a nap.”
“Good. Relax. I’ll wake you when we land if you’re still sleeping.”
I swiveled my neck pillow around, tugged my sweater tighter, and closed my eyes.
I imagined a drop spindle and slowly fed multi-colored fibers onto the device as I waited for sleep to claim me. The visualization technique relaxed me until melatonin worked its magic.
Only this time, a stranger appeared in the background of my mind. His smile comforted me and tugged me closer as if we knew each other in a way that connected our souls. I touched the spindle and it clattered to the ground with a loud boom.
I jolted awake, reorienting myself to my surroundings, and realized we’d hit a rough patch of turbulence. I glanced to my left and startled at the handsome stranger in the seat next to me. He looked just like the man from my dream. Ridiculous, Rose.
“Are you okay, Rose?” he asked softly.
My mouth parted. “Do I know you?” Was I still dreaming?
“No.” He smiled. “Julie mentioned your name when I sat down. Said for me to be quiet so you could rest peacefully.”
The plane dipped and my stomach heaved.
“Lord help!” I squeaked. As often as I traveled, I could not get used to turbulence.
“We’re okay. The pilot said it’s just a storm. We’ll be through it in no time.”
Was he serious? What if the plane fell from the sky as if some giant monster batted at it like a toy? My breath turned ragged.
“Hey,” he placed a warm hand on my arm.
My pulse slowed. Why did his touch immediately calm me?
“This is all routine.” At my stupefied expression, he continued. “I’m a pilot and know the guy handling the aircraft. He’s got us.”
I blew out a breath, hoping the handsome man was right. “I should’ve kept dreaming.” Specifically to know if he was the man.
“Was it a good one?” he asked.
“Just me spinning.”
His brows rose. “I have so many questions.”
“It’s not that interesting.” I shook my head, trying to wake up all the way. “I make yarn and dreaming of a drop spindle helps me fall asleep.” I shrug. “Pathetic, right?”
“Not at all. I have my own mental picture to help me fall asleep.”
“What is it?” I turned in my seat, trying to discreetly check him out.
Warm brown eyes, a full smile framed by laugh lines, and eye crinkles that showed joy was a permanent part of his life. In all actuality, his smile made my brain think good looking more than the symmetry of his facial features.
“Roses.”
My cheeks heated. Did he say that because of my name? Was this some kind of line?
“That probably sounds strange.” He gripped the bridge of his nose. Finally, he met my gaze. “My mom runs a flower shop. I used to work there every summer and even now, I help out when I visit her. So when I need to sleep, I picture all the roses she carries and how calm I feel in the store.” He gave a sheepish grin. “Puts me to sleep every time.”
I let out a chuckle. So he wasn’t a player. “That’s a much better explanation than what I was thinking.”
“Sorry. I’m pretty boring.”
“Said no pilot ever,” I said in a dry tone.
He let out a bark of laughter then quickly looked around to see if he’d disturbed anyone. The plane dropped, and I let out another squeak, grabbing the armrest tightly. My breaths came in spurts, so I drew in a deep inhale and slowly let it out. His warm touch covered my hand. I looked into his eyes.
“What’s your name?” I whispered.
“Philip.”
“Have we met before?” Maybe that’s why he seemed so familiar.
“I was wondering the same thing. It’s almost like I saw you in a dream or something.”
My breath hitched. Was it possible for two people to have dreamt about one another?
The plane shook and I groaned.
“Will holding my hand help?” Philip asked.
Instead of answering, I intertwined my fingers with his. “I hate flying,” I murmured. But holding his hand reassured me. It felt like I’d known him forever.
“Can you try and go back to sleep?”
I shook my head. “What if something worse happens?
“Don’t worry,” Philip said softly. “I’ll watch over you. You can use my shoulder as a pillow.”
“I don’t think my spindle trick will work right now.”
“Then maybe you can dream of roses…and me,” he suggested softly.
I bit my lip. The thought of laying my head on his shoulder sounded nice. “Only for a little bit,” I said.
I laid my cheek on Philip’s shoulder and held in a sigh. Why was this so relaxing? He slipped his arm around me, and I snuggled in closer, closing my eyes. Could imagining the flower I was named after help right now? Stranger things have worked.
A room full of a rainbow array of roses filled my mind, the sweet smell lulling me into a deep slumber. In the midst of the flowers, I danced around the meadow with Philip.
A soft touch caressed my cheek. “Rose, we’re here.”
I sat up and opened my eyes to see Philip’s brown-eyed gaze. “Mm. Already?”
“You slept peacefully the whole time. Did the roses help?”
I shook my head. “No. You did.”
Her latest release, A Run at Love, released May 7 from Bethany House Publishers. It is book 2 of her Love in the Spotlight series and features the Kentucky Derby.
As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers (FHLCW), Toni loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Goodreads, and her website.
Spark Flash Fiction 