“Mom,” Lily whispered, “isn’t this our line?”
“Yes. Leave it to me.”
The line of passengers was getting longer.
I checked the numbers above us, just to be sure. Twelve As and twelve Bs, both circled on the tickets Lily was holding. My stomach tightened, but I told myself it was probably a simple mistake, the kind that can be fixed with a smile and a boarding pass.
I tightened my grip on Noah, felt Lily press against my side, and took a step forward.
The woman didn’t look up.
Behind me, the line of passengers was getting longer and all eyes were already on row 12.
“Excuse me,” I said again, my voice lower this time. “Those are our seats. My daughter has the window seat.”
“This is not my problem.”
The woman in row 12 didn’t even look up.
“I heard you the first time.”
I showed her our boarding passes so she could see them clearly.
“Ma’am, we paid extra for these two seats next to each other. My daughter is ten years old and must sit next to me.”
With a sigh, she removed one earpiece, as if I were interrupting something important.
“I’m already sorted. Mothers with small children always expect others to rearrange their lives. You chose to travel with two children. That’s not my problem.”
“I asked him twice, but he doesn’t move.”
A flush of heat filled my face. Behind me, someone muttered something about being late.
A flight attendant slipped through security and glanced at the papers I was holding. Her expression deepened as she checked her tablet.
“There’s been a double assignment for the window seat,” she whispered. “I’ve asked her twice, but she won’t move, and I can’t let her out before takeoff. The flight is full. The only free seat is three rows back. Your daughter can stay here while you take Noah to row 15, or we’ll sort this out after takeoff. We need to close the doors.”
I stared at her.
“Do you want me to leave my ten-year-old daughter here alone? With her?”
“Some children don’t have good manners.”
“I know, ma’am. As soon as the seatbelt sign goes off, I’ll be right back to fix everything. I promise. We’ll issue a partial refund after landing. Thank you.”
The woman in row 12 smiled mischievously without looking up.
“Why should I move? She’s the one traveling with all that luggage.”
She thrust a manicured finger at Noah as if he were an oversized carry-on bag. He groaned against my collarbone, feeling the tension.
I bent down to pick up Noah’s blanket from the floor near his feet. As I stood up, my hand touched the seat, but Noah stirred against my chest, and I couldn’t think of anything else.
“I’ll be fine.”
Lily tugged at my sleeve.
“Mom, wait. I think there’s something…”
He almost never interrupted the adults. For a moment, I wondered what could be so important.
“Stop bothering me,” the woman snapped, before Lily could finish her sentence. “God, some kids just don’t have any manners.”
Lily gasped.
“It’s okay, Mom,” he whispered. “I’ll be fine. I can see you from here.”
I hated myself for giving in.
I crouched down to her level, brushing her hair behind her ear.
“Are you sure, darling?”
“I’m sure.”
Every instinct told me not to leave her there. But Noah was complaining, the hallway was blocked, and every second that passed made things worse. I hated myself for giving in.
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