Getting to the Big Apple by plane was "interesting" to say the least. The little girl in front of me slept the whole ride over, it was the old man behind me that made it interesting.

He was a gentle looking old man with loafers on his feet and suspenders holding his pants up over his striped dress shirt with a tan golfer's hat on his nearly hairless head. His smile, though nearly toothless, was wide and gentle.

"Excuse me miss?" I heard an older man's voice speak softly from right behind me. Thankfully I was in the aisle seat so it was easy to turn around and look at the gentleman behind me.

"Yes?"

I waited for a response for what seemed like 5 minutes, but that old man just kept on staring at me with the same old grin on his face, so with a nod and a grin so as not to be impolite, I turned back around in my seat and got back to the book I was reading.

Tap. Tap. Tap. I felt on my shoulder so curiously I turned around to face the elderly man behind me again. "Yes?" I asked him gently, as he was still looking at me with eyes that were slightly starry.

"Well don't you recognize me Eloise?" He asked with a grin.

Eloise? That definitely wasn't my name. I'd heard of an insane asylum with that name, but any Mighigander worth their salt had heard of that, but Eloise? That was a far cry from the name I was given at birth.

"I'm sorry sir, but I think you're mistaking me for someone else, my name is Stella not Eloise." I responded to him gently because he was looking at me with such hope.

All of a sudden a loud laugh burst forth from him so strong it shook his frame and caused him to start coughing. Worried about his health I got out of my seat and knelt by his side until he got his breathing back under control. With one of my hands grasped in his, he smiled down at me fondly as his eyes raked over my dusty blonde hair and brown eyes.

"Oh El, you always could make me laugh," he said, "but I know it's you. You're the only one that's every looked at me with eyes so caring."

'Eyes so caring?' I was so confused until I glanced over and saw a nurse who happened to be asleep next to him.

"Well I do care." I replied, and that was no lie. I did care, this man had obviously lost his soulmate, HIS Eloise, and something about me must have reminded him about her so much that he got the two of us confused. That alone was heart breaking, but seeing him stare at me with so much hope in his blue eyes had me almost in tears.

"My name isn't Eloise sir, it's Stella Monroe, but I would love to hear all about your El if I could." I said to the man.

Something in his eyes cleared as I said my name a second time and he looked at me with a gentle smile and said, "I would be honored. It was 1943 when I met my gal. . ." And for the rest of the plane ride I sat with the man and laughed as he told me stories of how he met his wife and how she had the biggest crush on Captain America. I think part of his soul was soothed during that ride, and I know mine was as well, because when we touched down before we went our separate ways he handed me a small black and white photo of 2 people who were obviously madly in love with one another.

"This was my Eloise," he said as one shaking finger pointed to a beautiful woman holding onto a smiling man.

"She was beautiful."

"I know, I always told her that if Captain America did come into town one day he'd surely be swept off his feet by her beauty." Gently I tried to place the photo back in his hands but he refused and curled his hand around mine. "You keep it. You gave this old man a million smiles and laughs today, and I know my gal would have wanted you to have that." He said.

"I promise to keep it safe." I spoke moved.

"I know you will, you have a blessed life Stella." He said while turning away.

"You too sir, you too." And with those words I made my way out of the airport and onto the crowded and packed streets of New York where I was blindsided by all the noise and people.