Chapter 17 - Same Flight
For three seconds, nobody moved.
The departure board above Gate B22 flashed ORLANDO - ON TIME. A boarding announcement for another flight echoed down the concourse. Somewhere behind us, a coffee grinder screamed.
Yet the space between my family and me felt completely silent.
Emma's hand slid into mine.
"Mom." Her voice was small. "I see them."
Mom stood first. Dad remained seated. Jessica's face tightened before she looked away. Aaron looked surprised, then tired.
Sophie saw Emma last.
Her reaction was immediate.
"Emma!"
She jumped out of her chair.
Jessica caught her wrist. Not hard. Just enough to stop her.
Sophie looked at her mother.
"What?"
Jessica whispered something I could not hear.
Sophie pulled her hand free anyway. She ran toward us.
Emma looked up at me. I nodded.
The cousins met in the middle of the concourse and hugged so hard their backpacks bumped together. For one second, all the adult poison disappeared.
"You're going!" Sophie sounded genuinely thrilled.
Emma nodded.
"Mom surprised me."
"Are you staying with us?"
Emma's smile faltered.
"No."
"We have our own hotel."
Sophie looked confused.
"Why?"
Before Emma could answer, Jessica arrived.
"Sophie, come back."
Her voice was calm in the way people become calm when they know strangers are listening.
Sophie ignored the order for one more second.
"Maybe we can ride Haunted Mansion together."
Emma looked at me again.
I crouched beside both girls.
"You two can text each other."
"If schedules work, we can talk about meeting somewhere with your parents."
Sophie brightened.
Jessica did not.
"We already have plans."
The sentence came too quickly.
Aaron stood behind her now.
"We can look at the schedule."
Jessica turned toward him.
"We have reservations."
"So does everyone at Disney."
His tone was dry.
Dad approached slowly. He stopped several feet away from Emma.
"Hi, kiddo."
Emma gave him a careful smile.
"Hi, Grandpa."
He did not try to hug her. That mattered.
Mom stood behind him. She looked at Emma, then at me, then back at Emma. Her eyes filled immediately.
"You look so grown up."
Emma shifted closer to me.
"Thanks."
Mom's hands tightened around the strap of her purse.
"I am glad you are going to Disney."
Emma nodded.
"Me too."
Mom waited as if she expected more. Nothing came.
Then she looked at me.
"Did you know we were on this flight?"
The question was almost accusing.
"No."
Jessica gave a short laugh.
"Come on."
I turned toward her.
"What?"
"There are three nonstop flights this morning."
"And somehow you picked ours."
"I booked in February."
"So did we."
"Congratulations."
I kept my voice flat.
"We both discovered the internet."
Aaron covered a smile with his hand. Jessica saw it. Her expression sharpened.
"You think this is funny?"
"No."
"I think it is an airport."
"People take flights."
Mom stepped in before Jessica could answer.
"Can we please not do this here?"
I looked at her.
"I am not doing anything."
That was the truth. I had not approached them. I had not raised Christmas. I had not mentioned the cruise. I had not asked for a conversation. We had simply walked to our gate.
Mom seemed to realize that.
She lowered her eyes.
"Right."
The boarding area was nearly full. Emma and I found two seats near the windows on the opposite side. Ben had texted that his flight from Frankfurt to Atlanta was on schedule and he would meet us in Orlando two days later.
I showed Emma.
She smiled.
Then she looked back at Sophie once.
"Can I wave?"
"Of course."
May you like
She waved. Sophie waved back.
Jessica pretended not to see.
