I look out the window next to my seat and shake my head. By the time I got back downstairs with my luggage, Dex had booked my ticket on the next flight out of LAX and insisted on paying for it. I have no idea what it would cost to book a ticket this close to a flight, especially in first class.
This plane is something else, too. There’s a top level to it, full of business class seats… and I’m kind of glad I’m not up there. The idea of sitting up there sends a shiver down my spine.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
I turn my head toward the smiling flight attendant, who is carrying a tray of champagne.
“Uh… just water, please.”
She nods and smiles before moving to the next seat.
I’m still not looking forward to the flight… it’s going to take almost eighteen hours to get to Prague, but it’s totally so worth it. The thought of kissing my husband and looking into his eyes… it makes it any amount of travel worth it.
I take my phone out of my purse and think about sending Spencer a text that might suggest we will see each other soon, but without spoiling the surprise. Sending Harriet a text, to let her know I’m leaving the country, wouldn’t be a bad idea, either… but I’m not so sure it matters since she said there wasn’t anything for me to do in the next five days.
Before I can decide on messaging either of them, the flight attendant comes back with a small bottle of water and hands it to me.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Just so you know, we’re about to close the door and you’ll need to put your phone on airplane mode for the duration of the flight.”
“Okay… thanks.”
She smiles before turning to attend to another customer. I write out a text to Dex, hit send and then put my phone on airplane mode.
Hey, thank you so much for the plane ticket… it was overly generous of you. I’m really looking forward to seeing Spencer, so thank you for making this happen. See you in a few days.
I put my phone in the cubby next to my seat and fasten my seat belt. The pilot comes on over the intercom and instructs the crew to close the doors and prepare for departure.
I sit back in my seat, take a deep breath and prepare for the almost eleven-hour flight to Paris. Being able to turn my seat into a lie-flat bed is going to be the saving grace—arriving in Prague having slept at least a few hours will make a world of difference since my trip is so short and I don’t want to waste any of it by trying to adjust to the time difference.
The plane is pushed away from the gate and I look out the window. I take a drink from my bottle of water and sigh. I’m really excited to see Spencer, but my thoughts keep drifting back to my mom. I feel like I should have done something about her situation. Dex made that offer and I really never considered it… which I realize was a kind of stupid thing to do. No matter how mad I am at her, she’s still my mom and if she’s sick… then I should try and help her any way that I can. I should talk to Dex when I get back… and see if he can arrange for her to be moved and to receive treatment at a place that would be better suited to address her needs.
I dig through my amenity kit as the plane taxis toward the runway. I find exactly what I was looking for—the eye mask. The sun hasn’t set yet… but I need to get as much sleep as possible during the flight. I pull the mask over my eyes and lean my head back as the engines roar to life and the plane lurches forward.
The feeling of the plane leaving the ground makes me feel a little woozy. It’s not something I think I’ll ever feel is normal… but so far it’s never made me throw up or anything like that.
I hope that Rose is okay while I’m gone, especially since Dex is going on his trip to Napa with Brenda. Rose seemed a little more at ease after our talk and hanging out with Dex… but I didn’t have a chance to talk to her again before Dex drove me to the airport. She’s just about the same age as me, I just feel sort of responsible since I’m the reason she decided to leave behind her life in Chicago and move to Los Angeles. Hopefully, Rose will get that part and she can start to build a life for herself… one where she won’t feel so dependent on others.