Sorry this is a little late! I've had a crazy few days moving back home from college, but hopefully this one is cute enough to make up for it.
Even though we were traveling at over 850 miles per hour, it was not nearly fast enough.
"I hate myself right now." Matt whispered beside me.
"I hate myself, too."
We were sitting in first class on a flight home, but the additional leg room and extra plush seats provided no comfort to us.
"I think we should let her eat ice cream for dinner."
"She's wanted a hamster for months—I think we should buy one for her on the way home."
"We'll get one of those really elaborate cages for it—like the ones that look like a castle. Or a rocket ship."
"Abby isn't going to let us live it down."
"If you think that's bad, just imagine Cammie. She's just going to smile, look down at her shoes, and say, it's okay, I understand, and we're going to feel very guilty."
"I already feel very guilty."
Matt sighed.
"Yeah."
Matt and I had spent five days in Saint Petersburg trying to gather intelligence on some shady arms deals that had gone down there. From Saint Petersburgh, we had flown to Anchorage to deliver our intel to a field office, and from Anchorage we were supposed to fly on a commercial flight back to DC.
However, there is no such thing as a direct commercial flight between Anchorage and DC, which meant Matt and I had a layover in Seattle, which, had it been on time, would have delivered us at home with just enough time to drive from the airport to Cams' elementary school to watch her kindergarten graduation.
But then a simple electrical issue with the plane had delayed our flight by 45 minutes having already boarded the plane. As we sat in our seats, Matt and I, minute by minute, kept pushing our mental itineraries forward. As the pilot announced over the intercom that the problem had been solved and that we would be taking off soon, Matt and I looked at each other, filled with dread.
"Maybe there will be a freak tail wind."
"At this time of year, that's not likely."
"That's why I said freak. A miracle tail wind."
"Maybe angels will descend from heaven and come and give the plane a good push."
We laughed, but we were both too tense for it to be very funny.
After a moment, I confessed "I always knew this day would come."
"Hmm?"
"I always knew there was going to be a time when our jobs got in the way of being good parents."
"We're not in control of the plane." Matt said, the slant of his eyebrow saying well, we could have been, but that would have drawn a lot of attention.
"I know, but… a month after mom died, dad missed mine and Abby's ballet recital. It was on a Friday evening, and he just forgot to put it on his schedule, and instead, he made plans to spend the weekend at Camp David. He left without even telling us. It was one of those moments that, even though I was twelve, I knew I was never going to do that."
Matt placed on of his hand on top of mine—I had been picking at my hangnails without noticing. And I was surprised to see how warm his hands were in the cold cabin.
"Well, unlike your dad, we'll apologize to Cam. And we'll explain to her that we did everything we could to get home in time that wouldn't result in our arrest at the hands of an Air Marshal."
"I know. I still feel guilty, though."
"Me too."
I took a deep breath, and looked out the window to my left—through the clouds, I could see that the flat plains that had been there the last time I checked had given way to rolling hills and trees. It wouldn't be long until it was time to face the music.
"We'll have other moments." I murmured, mostly to reassure myself. "Her graduation from Gallagher—if she goes. College—if she goes."
Okay. So maybe that wasn't the most reassuring train of thought.
Matt was quiet for nearly three minutes, as he stared straight ahead at the seat in front of him.
"Were you serious about the hamster?"
Okay. Not where I expected the conversation to return.
I shrugged.
"She's responsible enough for a pet. Were you serious about letting her eat ice cream for dinner?"
"As a heart attack."
"Alright. Well, we can stop at the store and get some ice cream on the way home. And then we can go to the pet store tomorrow."
The pilot announced that the plane would soon descend. After assuring the flight attendant that no, we didn't have any trash, Matt sighed once again.
"I still feel really guilty."
"I feel so guilty."