And You Will Find Love

"I think you must have been born with prop wash in your veins," Olafson told Barbara when she asked for a real job at the airport.

Promising she would still sew up the planes' torn wings, Barbara became Olafson's secretary. She also washed down and fueled the planes, for both salary and flying lessons.

Gail, with Paul's extra instruction on off-work hours, learned to fly before Barbara and soloed first. She and Paul watched from the airfield as Gail flew the Piper Cub like she had been born at the controls, then brought the plane down like a butterfly.

The three friends celebrated that night over spaghetti and wine at Luigi's. The little Italian restaurant had become their meeting place, even though the music the two-man band of accordion and violin played nearly brought her and Gail to tears.

Smile the while you kiss me sad adieu,

When the clouds roll by I'll come to you;

Then the skies will seem more blue

Down in lovers lane my dearie

Wedding bells will ring so merrily,

Every tear will be a memory

So wait and pray each night for me

Till We Meet Again.

It became Gail's and Paul's special song because they were always parting as he went off on mail runs. Gail hated the separations, even though most of his flights, to Indianapolis, Minneapolis, St. Louis and other Midwest cities were just overnights and he was back home the next day.

Still, Gail worried because there were always storms for Paul to fly through, and icy runways to take-off and land in. Perhaps most dangerous of all, planes were really not very safe to fly. Something was always going wrong with them, especially the engines.

Barbara worried too, the more hours she spent flying. She loved every moment up in a plane, but while high in the sky heard enough mysterious knocks and pings from the contraptions they called engines to worry she might not land except in a nose-dive crash. She wondered if the uncertainty of flying safely was one reason she was always so thrilled by it.

After Gail soloed, Barbara heard Paul ask that she not fly again, "Until after."

Barbara looked at her best friend as she took off her leather cap and goggles and was unstrapping her parachute. She saw a radiant expression on Gail's beautiful face that she thought possibly even transcended how she looked at her wedding.

Gail broke the news happily. "Paul and I are expecting."

Paul was used to them hugging, and was always glad for it, but still had to laugh at the hug Gail and Barbara gave each other then.