For most of my life, I would have convinced myself to forget the whole thing.
I would have told myself
it wasn’t worth the trouble.
That perhaps I was making too much of it.
That keeping the peace was more important.
But this time, I stopped beside the airline’s customer-service desk.
“Excuse me,” I said. “I’d like to report something that happened during my flight.”
The employee listened patiently.
Then she showed me how to submit a written complaint.
“I’m not asking for compensation,” I explained. “I just want an accurate record of what happened.”
She nodded.
I entered my flight information.
Described Josh’s repeated refusal to respect my personal space.
Explained that I’d asked him to move several times.
And included the fact that the flight attendant had helped me change seats.
I read everything carefully before submitting it.
For once, I hadn’t softened the truth just to make someone else feel comfortable.
And when I pressed the submit button, I felt an unfamiliar sense of relief.
Not because
I wanted revenge.
But because I’d finally stood up for myself.
After collecting my suitcase, I called Marianne.
“Sweetheart, I’m coming out now.”
“Great! Rose is awake. She’s been looking around like she’s expecting you.”
I laughed.
“Tell her Grandma’s almost there.”
A few minutes later, I spotted my daughter near the arrivals area.
She stood beside a baby carrier, waving excitedly.
I hurried toward her.
Marianne wrapped her arms around me.
“Mom!”
I hugged her tightly.
Then she stepped back and studied my face.
“You look exhausted. Was the flight okay?”
I sighed.
“Let’s just say a man beside me apparently believed his plane ticket included half of my seat.”
Her eyebrows shot up.
“What?”
“I’ll explain later. I managed to change seats, and I filed a report.”
Marianne looked relieved.
“Good. I’m glad you didn’t let him get away with treating you like that.”
I smiled.
“So am
I.”
Then I leaned toward the baby carrier.
“But enough about airplanes. Where’s that beautiful granddaughter I’ve traveled all this way to meet?”
Marianne laughed.
“Someone’s been waiting for you.”
She carefully lifted Rose from the carrier.
Then placed her in my arms.
And suddenly, the entire miserable flight disappeared from my mind.
My granddaughter was even smaller than I’d imagined.
