In Time

31.

⭐ Zachary's POV ⭐

"Your attention please, passengers for New York, flight 521, departure time 13 hours 05, immediate boarding please at gate A10. Thank you."

The announcement for boarding blasted throughout the airport. I finished the  coffee and started walking towards my boarding gate. As usual, I didn't check in any luggages and only had a carry-on bag. But, this carry-on bag was slightly bigger than the one I usually brought. As it contained the present for my grandparents' wedding anniversary.

I had a few sleepless nights trying to sorten out issues for an advertisement contract and to source for sponsors for an upcoming charity event. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to continue with the charity event due to the lack of sponsors. My marketing team and I had been working so hard to secure sponsorships.

Fortunately, we were able to find sufficient sponsors before I leave for New York. I wouldn't want to miss my grandparents' anniversary party. Besides,  it has been almost a year since I last saw my family. The thought of seeing my family again brought a smile to my face.

"Can you please help me with this, son?" I felt somebody tugging the sleeves of my t-shirt.

I turned around and landed my gaze on a pair of sparkling blue eyes. An old lady who looked about my mother's age, pointed to her bag sitting at a corner.

"Yeah sure," I responded with a smile playing on my lips.

"Thank you. I overestimated my ability to carry that and the walking distance to the gate," the lady chuckled as we were walking.

"No problem, which gate are you going to?"

"A10. What about you, son?"

"We're going to the same gate. You're visiting someone?"

"Yes, I'm visiting my daughter and son-in-law and my new grandson, who just turned eight months old yesterday," she replied and dug through her handbag for something.

"Here, that's my grandson, he was only five weeks old in this photo," the lady handed me a cardboard folder frame from St. James Photography Studio. The baby clutched a toy stuffed bear. He wore a light blue pajama like outfit with a little ship embroidered over the right breast. He sat propped up against a blanket backdrop. His eyes were bright and big, and he had an open mouth, toothless smile.

"He's very cute," I commented and passed back the photo.

"Well, thank you," the grin on her face was priceless. "Maybe I'm biased, but he has the sweetest disposition. Do you have any kids?"

I let out a laugh and shook my head. "I'm single."

The lady's eyebrows rose a notch and said, "Why would a fine man like you be single?"

"I'm just waiting for the right time. Thanks for the compliment though," I shot her a cheeky wink.

"Are you visiting someone too?"

"Yeap, I'm going home for my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary."

"My my, congrats to your grandparents! I'm married to my old man for 29 years and he's making me more mad as each year goes by," the lady said with an eyeroll, but I could see the love shining through her blues eyes. "Oh, and you're not from LA?"

"Nope, I moved here after graduating from college."

"I see, so what do you do?"

"I have a small newspaper company, called Connect."

"Connect? My husband will never believe that I met the boss of his favourite newspaper!" The lady exclaimed with excitement which earned a chuckle from me.