All You Had To Do Was Stay

Chapter one: The Meet-cute

"Excuse me, pardon me! Coming through!" I yell as I make my way through J.F. Kennedy International Airport hearing the final call for Croatia over the intercom.

"Ten minutes until gate 23A to Croatia closes." I start to panic as I notice a line at the passport control.

"What's going on?" I ask as I'm trying to catch my breath.

"Sorry Madam, some of our passport gates are defect at the moment. Besides, it doesn't help we're short staffed. You need to get in line so they can check your passport."
I turn around to see the line had become at least once as long as it was before I got there.

"Is there no other way to skip the line? I really need to catch my flight, it leaves in ten... well, eight minutes now and-..," I say as I get interrupted by the crew member.

"Let me stop you there, Madam. A lot of people are late for their flights too, you're not the only one. I'm really sorry but you have to wait in line like everybody else," she says as I scan the environment.

"Surely there has to be another way to skip the line." I think as I see a chance to get ahead of people who weren't paying attention.

"If you do miss your flight, I advise you to-.."

"I'm sorry, but I really can't miss my flight," I run to the nearest available passport gate cutting the line, angering many people waiting. But this was the least of my worries at the moment.

"Hey! You can't just skip the line! Madam! Madam!" I hear the crew member yell at me but I try to ignore it. I run as fast as my legs can take me to gate 23A, making it just in time before the gate closes.

"Excuse me, sorry, pardon me, I'm very sorry... Ah, seat 12b. Excuse me Sir, my seat is in the middle."
An older gentleman looks up, from his book, at me.

"Of course, go ahead young lady," he says smiling as he stands up to let me pass.

"Thank you, sir." I nod as I take my seat between the man and a woman who is fast asleep at the window seat.

"My goodness dear, did you run a marathon before you boarded the plane?" He says with a soft smile on his face.

"Oh, I don't know. Does a sprint from the parking lot to gate 23A count as a marathon? If it does, then yes... you could say I ran a marathon before boarding the plane." I smile as the man starts laughing at my comment.

"Is it your first time on a plane?" He asks friendly.

"No, I just got up really late... traffic at this hour in New York is the worst and the passport gates were broken. Let's say it's just not my morning."

"I see," The man says.

"It probably doesn't help being interrogated by a 76-year-old man," he says smiling.

"Oh, no I don't mind at all. After being yelled at several times this morning, it's nice to talk to someone who doesn't," I say softly, looking at my lap before looking at him again. He looks at me with curiousity.

"Traveling to Croatia alone?"

"Yes, some of my family and friends are already there," I say with a tone of sadness in my voice.

"Look, if I'm overstepping, please let me know," He says.

"But I have a feeling you're not very excited to go to Croatia. It's a beautiful country, you know? So, it's probably not the weather that's an issue. Is something bothering you, dear?" He asks trying to understand me.