Page 6 of That First Flight

“You’re notalmosta teenager,” I snap back. “You still have a few more years to go before you are.”

She rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest before she sinks into the seat.

“But you’re right,” I admit, offering her a smile. “I know you can handle the flight. It’s my job to worry about you though. You have to understand that.”

“I get it, Mom.”

“How about this… when we land in New York, don’t leave your seat until I get up to you. Okay?”

“I can do that.”

“They let people off the plane row by row. So since I’m pretty far in the back, just wait in your seat.”

“Got it.”

Nervous energy dances through my stomach over the next half hour we sit and wait to board the plane.

Who would have thought that the first flight I ever take in my life, is to chase my dreams and give my girl a better life. I don’t have a clue on how I’m going to do it and make it work, but I’ll be damned if I don’t try.

Once we’re finally on the plane, I make sure Mackenzie is situated in her seat. Thankfully, she’s seated next to another parent with a daughter who looks to be about the same age as Mackenzie.

Thank you, universe.

“Excuse me,” I say to get the woman’s attention. She smiles up at me. “I’m Macey and this is Mackenzie. Our seats are separated on the flight. Would it be too much to ask to keep an eye on her for the flight?”

“Oh my gosh, of course!” the woman says with her hand to her chest. “I brought some coloring books for the flight and a few extra snacks.”

My chest tightens at the kindness of this total stranger. “Thank you.” I’m barely able to get the words out.

“Us moms have to stick together,” she says with a wink.

“I appreciate that so much,” I say to the woman before I look back at Mackenzie. “I’m right in the back if you need anything, babe. I love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.” She smiles up at me.

I make my way to the back of the plane, and notice I have a middle seat. I groan internally at how annoying the middle seat seems. It looks like I’m about to be sandwiched between two strangers.

I send up a silent prayer that they are plane sleepers and just leave me be.

I look to my left and the elderly woman next to me is already sound asleep. I glance up and over the seat in front of me and notice the entire flight has boarded, and the aisle seat to my right is still empty.

I should have Mackenzie just come back here.

Just as the thought crosses my mind, a man comes rushing onto the plane with a rolling carry-on, sunglasses and a baseball cap that reads ‘You had me at bacon.’ Once he reaches my row at the back of the plane, I realize this is the man that’s going to occupy the vacant seat next to me.

The flight attendant stops him as he approaches our row. “Sir, this flight is completely booked. There is no room in the overhead bins for your suitcase.”

“Shit,” he mumbles under his breath. “I don’t want to have this checked.”

She eyes him up and down at the same time a flirty grin reaches her lips. She’s clearly checking him out.

“No worries, sir,” she purrs. “I’ll store it in the back here for you until you get off.”

With a wink, she grabs his carry-on suitcase from him and wheels it to the back of the cabin. I don’t miss how he watches her backside as she walks away.

Bringing his focus back to his ticket, he removes his sunglasses to read it and I think my jaw drops. His ocean blue eyes move from the ticket to the numbers above the seat before they land on me. A wicked grin fills his face and my stomach bottoms out.

“Hey there, seat wife. Looks like I’m the happy owner of this spot next to you.”

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