Richard glanced up at his wife. "What's wrong?"
Celeste stared toward the aisle. "Her earrings," she said. "I could have sworn they were your mother's."
"My mother's earrings?" He gave a distracted snort. "Celeste, half the world wears pearls."
"Not with those little gold flowers. She had them made to match this clasp."
He looked at the necklace for no more than a second. "You're letting an unfortunate seating mix-up get to you. Don't. Sloan handled it."
Celeste wanted to believe him. Instead, she touched the pearls at her throat and remembered another moment, years earlier, when a family member had seemed to need her to say something and she had done nothing. She turned toward the entrance again, suddenly unsettled by the possibility that the past had followed them onto an airplane.
In the rear galley, Pearl returned without having used the restroom. Jenna saw her expression and crouched immediately. "What happened?"
"The lady up front said to come back," Pearl whispered. "She said the door was closing. I tried to tell her."
Jenna felt anger rise, sharp and unfamiliar. It was not merely about a passenger refusing an unnecessary seat change anymore. She had watched her lead make a child wait through an ordinary need because admitting the girl had a reason to be in first class would have complicated the story Sloan wanted everyone to accept.
"I'm sorry," Jenna said. "I'll get you to a working bathroom as soon as we're allowed to move again. Meanwhile, I'll ask the crew to check whether that one can be repaired before we push back."
Walter moved his cane so Pearl could climb back into the middle seat. "Did you find what you needed?" he asked gently.
Pearl shook her head. Then she leaned toward Ruby and whispered that the lady wearing the necklace had asked about Grandma Pearl. Ruby looked puzzled. They were both still thinking about that when their father's reply buzzed on the watch for the second time, telling them he had reached gate B14.
"He's here," Ruby said, gripping Pearl's hand. "He's really here."
At the cabin door, Sloan saw Daniel Bell appear at the end of the jet bridge. She straightened her uniform jacket and prepared the reassuring smile that had usually ended complaints before they reached management. The man approaching looked exhausted, his tie loose and his travel bag swinging at his side. She did not recognize him, which reassured her that this would be an ordinary conversation with an unhappy parent.
"Mr. Bell, welcome aboard," she began. "I'm Sloan Mercer, your lead flight attendant. We did have a small seating adjustment, but your daughters are safe, comfortable, and being looked after at the rear of the cabin. You're still in two C. If you'd like to settle in, we can—"
Daniel walked past the first row without answering. He was looking at seat 2B and the silver-haired man sitting in it, at the familiar slant of the man's shoulders and the expensive watch resting on his wrist. Richard was glancing at his phone, and Celeste had turned toward the aisle again, still holding her necklace. Neither noticed Daniel until he stopped beside the empty seat across from them.