“Mom, are you absolutely sure you packed everything?”
I laughed.
“Marianne, I’m sixty-one, not six.”
“I know. I just want the trip to go smoothly.”
“So do I, sweetheart.”
Before boarding, I looked at one more photograph of Rose.
She was wearing a knitted hat that was much too big for her tiny head.
I smiled.
No matter how nervous I felt about traveling alone, meeting that little girl would be worth it.
***
At first, the flight seemed perfectly pleasant.
I had a window seat on a six-hour journey.
My daughter had insisted I choose it because she knew how much I enjoyed looking at the clouds.
When I reached my row, a broad-shouldered man was already standing nearby.
He appeared to be around fifty.
He wore an expensive-looking quarter-zip sweater, neatly pressed trousers, and polished loafers.
He smiled when he saw me.
“Looks like we’re going to be neighbors.”
