Maria

14. plane ride

"Thank you for saying that. Things at the moment are absolutely strange. Even though Angela, Matthew's fiancée, and I are very close, it is simply because they reside here. Jonah and I have only ever met once in person, and the weekend was somewhat hectic. We were asked to fly up with Matthew and Angela. He has a supersonic jet. Is that not absurd? Anyway, I didn't want to interfere, so I declined. I'm perfectly content flying in standard economy class on a commercial plane. I apologize for not paying for your ticket. I'll repay you, I swear. I might need a couple of weeks."

"Don't stress over it. I told you I didn't want your money the day I made the flight booking. I wanted to be there for you, and I can afford it. It's not a major issue."

"I'm not going to hear of it. I'll reimburse you, and you'll take my money." She spoke with a little edge. His little surprise for her might not go as planned when they checked in, but he didn't want to fight with her about it. He located space and parked as they entered the airport's parking garage. To open her door, he almost sprinted around the car after getting out, but he just caught the handle as she was exiting.

"I almost hit you, I'm sorry."

"I'm okay, you didn't. Only my ego is harmed. That is what I get for coming around to open the door for you and attempting to act like a gentleman."

As she moved in for a sincere kiss on his lips, a grin lightened her expression. "I apologize. Frankly said I'm not accustomed to having things done for me like that."

He brought her into himself by putting an arm around her back. "Perhaps I can teach you."

Daniel gave her another passionate kiss, stronger than the first. He desperately wanted to shove her into the backseat and do whatever he could to make her smile and scream his name despite the packed parking garage and the fact that they were running late. As he displayed what it felt like to have someone genuinely look after her, she couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, Mr. Richardson, here you go. Two first-class JFK tickets. It will be boarding in about 30 minutes; your flight is direct. Please proceed to the Clear station so they can speed up your security check. Enjoy your flight."

Daniel checked them in as Maria only partially listened to him. Another text message from Angela instructed her to alter her arrangements and board their flight the next morning. She was in the middle of telling her future sister-in-law that they had arrived at the airport when the gate agent interrupted and said, "Two first-class tickets." When she raised her head, she noticed Daniel grabbing the tickets.

"That's not us, I see. There must be an error, ma'am. We don't have first-class seats."

"Absolutely, you do. I have a copy of it on my computer right now. Two first-class tickets for Maria Cox and Mr. Daniel Richardson were bought, uh, just three days ago. You two are pictured there, correct?"

"Yeah but..."

Daniel touched her lower back with his hand. "It's us. While booking over the phone, I upgraded our tickets."

"That must cost you a lot."

As he grinned at the gate attendant he started walking away from the counter, he smiled at her.  "I wanted to surprise you. Just go with it; keep in mind that I stated this weekend was for you."

"The cost of first-class tickets is outrageous."

"Maria, don't stress over it. I made use of some of my trip points. I assure you that it wasn't much," As he leaned in to give her another forehead kiss, he added, "I don't want us to be late, so hurry up."

Maria stared at the security guards as they passed through. She had traveled quite a bit over the years, hopping between NYC, San Diego, and France, but going with Daniel was a completely other experience. He had access to some airport system that allowed you to bypass the line and move to the front. He must have contacted and arranged for them to meet up so they could check in together. Years ago, she thought she remembered seeing something similar, but she figured it was only for business travelers. It didn't really apply to her because she was never pressed for time.

They came up to the gate and were seated right away after quickly passing through security. Boarding had already begun. She was currently enjoying a glass of wine while sitting in first class and observing the flight attendants bring the bags aboard the aircraft. It appeared absurd.

"Is there anything I can get you, Ms. Cox?"

"Ms.Cox?"

"Maria, she's talking to you."

"Oh, I see. I apologize. I don't want anything." She received an overly warm smile from the flight attendant, who then turned to assist the following passenger.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, I'm good. Just now, I'm not accustomed to the last name. I don't feel like Ms. Cox. Due to the fact that I never really had a last name that was mine, I changed it early this year. I'm glad I did because it was Matthew's idea. It's just something I need to get used to."

"You did say that you were raised in foster care, correct? Many of the children I have encountered in the system are older. I guess I never gave the name's origin much thought."

"My birth mother's last name was on my birth certificate. I didn't realize it was Rossi until Ethan discovered me. My guardian's last name, Hughes, was what I used to go by. But it never quite fit. Cox fits better in my opinion, but everything is still rather new."

"When you say guardian, do you mean your foster parents?"

"You could call them such, I suppose. I still have a lot of questions that need to be answered. They appear to have some knowledge about my father or the father of my cousin Ethan. In all honesty, I believe that my cousin knows more about me than he has disclosed, but when it all came out, I was only able to handle so much at once. I'll go see him and inquire when I have more time."

"So where is he?"

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