Amy nudged her playfully. “One day, everything will fall into place for you. Just have a little faith.”
Leslie smirked but said nothing. They boarded the plane and got to work. As passengers settled in, she slipped into the galley to gulp down some water. She was just considering sneaking off for a quick nap when she heard it—a faint, high-pitched sound.
She froze. It was soft, almost like a kitten mewling. But pets weren’t allowed on this flight.
Shaking off her unease, she continued down the aisle until she passed the lavatory. There it was again—soft, pitiful crying.
Leslie knocked gently. “Hello? Is everything alright in there?”
Silence.
Concerned, she slowly opened the door.
A gasp escaped her lips.
Curled up in the corner of the tiny airplane bathroom was a young boy, his body trembling as he hugged his knees. His tear-streaked face turned up to her, eyes filled with fear.
Leslie exhaled in relief, her heart still racing. “Oh, kid, you scared the life out of me.”
The boy sniffled, clutching a brown paper bag against his chest as if it held his whole world.
“What are you doing in here?”
He stayed silent, gripping the bag even tighter.
Leslie crouched beside him, her voice softening. “Hey, it’s okay. My name’s Leslie. What’s yours?”
A pause. Then, in a small, shaky voice, he whispered, “Ben.”
Something about the way he held himself—small, defeated—stirred something inside her. She guided him to a crew jump seat and offered him a juice box. As he sipped, she discreetly checked the passenger list, expecting to find his name under a guardian’s booking.
Her stomach dropped.
There was no record of him on the flight.
Leslie turned back to Ben, her voice gentle but firm. “Sweetie, are you lost? Who are you traveling with?”
Tears welled in his eyes. “No one.”
Leslie’s heart clenched. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Over the next hour, Ben unraveled his story. He was the youngest of three brothers, often overlooked by his family. While his siblings excelled in sports, he was drawn to science, dreaming of curing diseases. But his mother barely noticed him, never offering the love and praise he longed for.
So when his grandmother fell gravely ill and the family planned a trip to Seattle to bring her medicine, Ben saw a chance to prove his worth.
“I wanted to be the one to save Granny,” he whispered. “I wanted Mom to finally see me.”
But at the airport, he got separated from his family. In his panic, he mistook a woman for his mother and followed her onto the wrong flight.
Now, stranded, he clutched the bag tighter. “I’ve ruined everything. Granny’s going to die, and it’s all my fault.”
Leslie’s throat tightened. “Oh, Ben… this isn’t your fault.”
When the plane landed in Los Angeles, Leslie alerted the authorities. His parents, frantic with worry, had been desperately searching for him. The airline arranged for him to fly home, but someone had to stay with him until then.
That someone was Leslie.
Instead of exploring L.A.’s nightlife, she found herself babysitting a scared little boy. She texted her colleagues, hoping someone would take over, but they all refused.
Resigned, she ordered pizza and sat across from Ben in her hotel room. They ate in silence until her phone rang.
“Leslie, it’s Mom.” Her mother’s voice was shaky. “It’s Joe… He’s sick.”
Leslie’s breath hitched. “What do you mean? What’s wrong with him?”
“The doctors think it might be something genetic. They need you to come in for tests.”
Leslie clutched the phone tighter. “Is he okay?”
“He’s weak, Leslie. He needs you.”
Guilt hit her like a tidal wave. She had spent the last month avoiding home, distracting herself from missing her son. Now, he needed her, and she was miles away.
She hung up and curled into a ball, sobbing.
Then, a small hand touched her arm.
She looked up to see Ben standing there, holding out his brown paper bag.
“I think you should have these for your Joe,” he said softly.
Leslie’s throat tightened.
“If I can’t help Granny, maybe this will help your son.”
Tears streamed down her face as she pulled him into a hug. “Thank you, Ben. But I have a better idea.”
That night, Leslie bought Ben a plane ticket with her own money and arranged to escort him to Seattle. Then, she booked her own flight home.
As they boarded, Ben hesitated. “What if Granny’s already gone?” His voice was barely a whisper. “What if I really did fail?”
Leslie squeezed his hand. “You didn’t fail, Ben. Your mom loves you—she’s just been too distracted to see how special you are. I promise, she’ll be happy to have you home.”
And she was right.
When they landed, Ben’s mother sprinted through the airport, tears streaming as she crushed him in a hug, whispering apologies, vowing never to overlook him again.
Leslie watched, heart aching, wondering if she would receive the same welcome when she got home.
She didn’t.
Joe was frail, pale, barely responsive. The doctors ran tests, but no answers came. Bills piled up. The airline refused to pay her for extended leave, and without work, she struggled to afford Joe’s treatment.
Then, one evening, there was a knock at the door.
Leslie opened it to find Ben and his parents standing there.
“We have something for you,” Ben’s mother said, handing her an envelope.
Leslie opened it. Her breath caught.
Inside was a check—for over $100,000.
“We started a fundraiser for my mother’s treatment,” Ben’s mother explained. “But she… she didn’t make it. We want you to have the money for Joe.”
Leslie clutched the check, overwhelmed. Tears spilled down her cheeks.
“This is the greatest gift I’ve ever received,” she whispered.
Ben grinned. “Joe’s going to get better, Miss Leslie. I know it.”
And he was right.
Thanks to the money, Joe received life-saving treatment and made a full recovery.
One afternoon, as he played outside, Leslie sat on the porch, watching him laugh, strong and healthy again.
A plane roared overhead.
She would return to work soon. But before that, she had one last call to make.
The next day, Ben’s family received a letter from the airline.
They would never have to pay full price for a flight again.