The hum of the CFM LEAP engines fills the cabin as the Polaris Airway Airbus A321LR cruises high above the Atlantic, but the atmosphere inside the plane is far colder than the air outside. This is the story of a fragile new family tested by the confines of a transatlantic flight. When Shannon is tied up with work, her husband is left to escort his stepdaughter, Avery, on a trip to Madrid that was supposed to be about bonding but feels more like a sentence.

Avery is a fortress of resentment, her silence punctuated only by the sharp movements of her headphones and the icy glares directed at the man she hasn't yet accepted as a father. As the flight attendant offers a menu of simple comforts like bagels and mac and cheese, the mundane reality of low-cost travel contrasts sharply with the high-stakes emotional tension in Row 12. Avery’s disdain for the "instant" food reflects her feelings toward her new family life—something pre-packaged and forced upon her.

Over the course of 4,500 nautical miles, the vast ocean below becomes a metaphor for the distance between the two passengers. With nowhere to run at 35,000 feet, the stepfather must navigate the turbulence of Avery’s anger and his own insecurities. What begins as a journey defined by bitter silence and reheated meals gradually shifts into a raw exploration of grief, acceptance, and the slow process of building a bridge across a generational divide. By the time the wheels touch down in Spain, the destination matters far less than whether they have managed to survive the flight without losing each other entirely.

You can find the complete Polaris Airway series via the link below 🔗📚

• Polaris Airway Series