The chapter is set in Tuskegee, Alabama on March 12, 1943. The main character, Mary, has a conversation with Eleanor Roosevelt and a shell-shocked pilot.
Eleanor Roosevelt suggests that she and Mary take a flight together, but Mary is unable due to her weak lungs.
Eleanor ends up going for the flight with the Chief Flight Instructor Anderson after discussing it with Mary.
Mary chooses to stay on the ground due to her health but continues to support Eleanor by watching her prepare for the flight.
Eleanor and Mary's goal for their visit to Tuskegee is to help get the Tuskegee pilots into active duty.
Before the flight, Eleanor introduces herself to the reporters and articulates that if she, the First Lady, is safe flying with a "colored" pilot then the trained colored pilots are safe to fight in the war.
Mary takes immense pride in Eleanor's actions, referring to the flight as an "unprecedented flight" that would bring new opportunities for well-trained pilots.
Mary reflects back on Eleanor's transformation over the years and how she went from being a shy politician's wife to a woman who fought for the rights of millions of Americans.
As the plane ascends, Mary imagines herself on the plane with Eleanor, feeling that only together do they soar.