Page 56 of Second Down Scrooge

“Is this flight going to be canceled?” I brace myself for the inevitable truth.

“More than likely, yes.” She leans in closer to me. “I'm a huge fan. Because of that I'm going to tell you a secret. Our airline doesn’t fly into Midway, but there are flights going out tonight, and one is taking off from gate B12 in twenty minutes. If you rush over there and they have room, which they do since I just called over to ask, they might be able to get you out tonight.”

Her words feel like a Christmas miracle, and I lean over the counter to give her a hug. She laughs, and I pull my phone outand open my contacts. “Put your name and number in here, and I'll set you up with four tickets to Sunday's game.”

Her jaw drops as she types in her details. “My husband is going to die when I tell him this.”

“Well, for both of your sakes, I hope that's not true, but we'll see you on Sunday.”

“Thank you,” she says.

I shake my head. “Thank you.” I emphasize theyouand run over to B-twelve.

Chapter 27: Kelly Kaplan

Canceled

Christmas Eve

I stare at the word flashing on the board beside my flight number.

Canceled.

It flashes again and again as if to mock me. Canceled. Canceled. Canceled. Canceled.

I walk over toward the window where my plane should be parking any minute and instead watch the snow as it falls like a blanket over the city.

I decided to book the redeye. I figured I’d deal with Mia. This is too important to miss, and so I need to get to him for Christmas.

Mia is asleep in a little umbrella stroller, so at least she doesn’t have to listen to me sniffling the way she would if I was holding her in my arms as I call my mom.

“My flight was canceled,” I wail when she answers.

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. This storm is wicked, so it’s probably for the best. We’ll get you out in a couple days once it clears up.”

The hope for a desert Christmas is squashed by the actual white Christmas I apparently was meant to have.

“Dad is about a half hour away from you, so I’ll call him and let him know to turn around and get to you. Give him a little bit of time to get to you, okay?”

“Thanks,” I mutter, and then I try to figure out what the hell I'm going to do for the next half hour.

I slide onto one of the chairs and watch some planes move down the runway. Some flights are still going out tonight, andI don't understand why the chosen few can come and go, but I can't get out tonight.

A plane lands and pulls into the gate that was supposed to be the one I took off from. That should be my plane, the one carrying Mia and me toward Austin so we could celebrate our first family Christmas together.

I stare at that damn plane and watch it park. The door opens, and the first passengers start to disembark.

I'm not really sure what to do with myself. I don’t really want to wait for my dad to come pick me up sitting at this gate for my canceled flight, and I need to go track down my suitcase anyway. With that in mind, I stand. I’ll find my suitcase and then wait near the arrivals pickup area since I know that’s where my dad will be.

I sling the diaper bag on my shoulder and grab the handles of the stroller. I turn away from the gate to start walking in that direction, and that's when I hear it.

“Kelly?”

I freeze at the sound of my name, and then I whip around…and I see Austin Graham standing there.

He's wearing a baseball cap pulled down low over his eyes and the gingerbread man sweater paired with jeans…and I'm pretty sure I'm hallucinating because there's no way Austin Graham is standing in front of me in the airport calling my name.

We stare at each other across a span of about ten feet, both of us frozen for a few beats except for my heart, which is beating practically out of my chest.

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