Chapter 5 - Graduation and the Letter
By evening, strangers knew my face. Some called Marcus a hero. Others argued about whether I should have moved. I put my phone down. Dana found me in the kitchen. “You can stop reading,” she said. “I wanted to know what people saw.” “They saw a short clip. You know what happened.”
Zoe’s graduation was the following morning. I decided I would not spend it on my phone. I pressed my dress for the ceremony. Zoe practiced walking across the living room while Marcus called out her full name. She threw a cushion at him. For an hour, we were a family preparing for a graduation.
Then Marcus stepped into the guest room. “Did you bring Dad’s letter?” I froze. “Zoe saw the envelope,” he said. “I recognized his writing.” I sat on the bed. “I found it while I was cleaning out the desk last month.” “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I didn’t know if you wanted to hear from him.” “I’ve wanted to hear from him every day,” Marcus said.
Samuel and Marcus had argued a week before Samuel died. Our son had accepted a position that meant moving across the country. Samuel wanted him closer while he was ill. They said things neither of them meant. Then there was no chance to say anything else. I placed the envelope in his hand. “I’ll read it tonight,” he said.
At Zoe’s graduation, I sat between Dana and Marcus. When Zoe’s name was called, we all stood. Afterward, she ran into my arms. “You came.” “I wouldn’t have missed it.” That night, after the guests left, Marcus found me on the porch. He had opened Samuel’s letter. “He said he was scared,” Marcus told me. “He didn’t want me to stop flying. He wanted me to know he’d miss me.” “He was proud of you.” “He wrote that he hoped one day I’d take you on my plane.” “He did.”
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Before bed, Lila sent a message. The airline had identified the person who contacted me as Imani. Her account described another passenger Rachel had challenged in first class months earlier, even after seeing a valid boarding pass. For the first time, I understood why Imani had reached out. She had been waiting for someone to believe what she saw.
