they sat down and buckled themselves in—that’s when I really got nervous.
The pilot told us to prepare for takeoff and then he took off. I couldn’t believe how fast he got the plane barreling down the runway, or how quickly I could tell that we were no longer touching the ground.
I kept my eyes closed and Emily squeezed my hand again. After a few moments I heard her say, “You’re going to hear a sound pretty soon when they bring up the landing gear.”
“Okay,” I said, and when it happened I was really glad that she had told me ahead of time.
After another few minutes I got up the nerve to open my eyes. I found that the flight attendants were no longer strapped in but were instead busily preparing to serve drinks to everyone. I watched their faces as they worked. None of them seemed stressed or worried at all; I figured that surely if something was wrong they would know and I’d be able to tell. I began to relax a little.
“See?” Emily asked. “It’s not so bad. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“Except death,” I muttered.
“You know,” she said. “Statistically you’re much more likely to die in a car accident on the way to or from the airport than you are on the flight itself.”
“Yes,” I agreed, “but at least that would be quick. At least I wouldn’t have two minutes of freefall time after the engines die while I’m waiting for the plane to hit the ground.”
“Now you’re just being silly,” Emily said with a mischievous grin. “Everyone knows that most crashes happen during takeoffs or landings.”
Things were pretty uneventful for most of the flight. We hit a few pockets of air and took bounces that reminded me we were a mile off the ground and could plummet to our deaths at any time, but other than that everything went fine. I gripped the armrests of my seat extra tight while we were touching down (because now I knew that most crashes happen during takeoffs and landings) but we made it without a hitch. The pilot was standing by the exit, smiling at everyone as we departed. I honestly wanted to smile at him and thank him for getting us to Chicago safely, but in the end, he had to settle for me simply not throwing up on him when I went by.
By the time we rented a car, found a place to grab a quick bite, and checked into a hotel, it was quite late. We said good night to each other before going to our own rooms, and then I fell into bed. Even though I was exhausted, sleep was a long time coming.
Emily and I met in the lobby in the morning and sat at a table to enjoy our “free continental breakfast,” which consisted of prepackaged blueberry muffins and granola bars. I couldn’t stomach any of it—not even the coffee, which Emily assured me was fresh. I just sat and watched her eat instead. Once she was finished, I reached into my pocket and pulled out three rings.
“Here.” I handed her my mother’s engagement and wedding rings that I’d found among her things after she’d died. “If we’re going to act like we’re interested in adopting then we need to look like we’re married.”
“What?”
“It’s a Christian adoption agency,” I reminded her. “I don’t think she’s going to talk to us too long if she doesn’t think we’re married.”
“I didn’t know we were going to act like we were interested in adopting,” Emily cried. “I thought we were just going to go up to her and introduce ourselves.”
I stared at her in disbelief.
“Reid,” she said. “I don’t want to lie.”
“You think I’m just going to walk up to her and say, ‘Good day. I’m the son you put up for adoption thirty years ago. How have you been?’”
“I don’t know, Reid,” she said. “I’m still not even sure why we’re here. I’m not sure you even know why we’re here.”
“I just want to see her,” I said. “And . . . and I don’t want her to know who I am.”
“Well, I’m not going to lie,” Emily said, shaking her head and pushing the
The pilot told us to prepare for takeoff and then he took off. I couldn’t believe how fast he got the plane barreling down the runway, or how quickly I could tell that we were no longer touching the ground.
I kept my eyes closed and Emily squeezed my hand again. After a few moments I heard her say, “You’re going to hear a sound pretty soon when they bring up the landing gear.”
“Okay,” I said, and when it happened I was really glad that she had told me ahead of time.
After another few minutes I got up the nerve to open my eyes. I found that the flight attendants were no longer strapped in but were instead busily preparing to serve drinks to everyone. I watched their faces as they worked. None of them seemed stressed or worried at all; I figured that surely if something was wrong they would know and I’d be able to tell. I began to relax a little.
“See?” Emily asked. “It’s not so bad. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“Except death,” I muttered.
“You know,” she said. “Statistically you’re much more likely to die in a car accident on the way to or from the airport than you are on the flight itself.”
“Yes,” I agreed, “but at least that would be quick. At least I wouldn’t have two minutes of freefall time after the engines die while I’m waiting for the plane to hit the ground.”
“Now you’re just being silly,” Emily said with a mischievous grin. “Everyone knows that most crashes happen during takeoffs or landings.”
Things were pretty uneventful for most of the flight. We hit a few pockets of air and took bounces that reminded me we were a mile off the ground and could plummet to our deaths at any time, but other than that everything went fine. I gripped the armrests of my seat extra tight while we were touching down (because now I knew that most crashes happen during takeoffs and landings) but we made it without a hitch. The pilot was standing by the exit, smiling at everyone as we departed. I honestly wanted to smile at him and thank him for getting us to Chicago safely, but in the end, he had to settle for me simply not throwing up on him when I went by.
By the time we rented a car, found a place to grab a quick bite, and checked into a hotel, it was quite late. We said good night to each other before going to our own rooms, and then I fell into bed. Even though I was exhausted, sleep was a long time coming.
Emily and I met in the lobby in the morning and sat at a table to enjoy our “free continental breakfast,” which consisted of prepackaged blueberry muffins and granola bars. I couldn’t stomach any of it—not even the coffee, which Emily assured me was fresh. I just sat and watched her eat instead. Once she was finished, I reached into my pocket and pulled out three rings.
“Here.” I handed her my mother’s engagement and wedding rings that I’d found among her things after she’d died. “If we’re going to act like we’re interested in adopting then we need to look like we’re married.”
“What?”
“It’s a Christian adoption agency,” I reminded her. “I don’t think she’s going to talk to us too long if she doesn’t think we’re married.”
“I didn’t know we were going to act like we were interested in adopting,” Emily cried. “I thought we were just going to go up to her and introduce ourselves.”
I stared at her in disbelief.
“Reid,” she said. “I don’t want to lie.”
“You think I’m just going to walk up to her and say, ‘Good day. I’m the son you put up for adoption thirty years ago. How have you been?’”
“I don’t know, Reid,” she said. “I’m still not even sure why we’re here. I’m not sure you even know why we’re here.”
“I just want to see her,” I said. “And . . . and I don’t want her to know who I am.”
“Well, I’m not going to lie,” Emily said, shaking her head and pushing the
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