A Different Kind of Ending
The captain eventually announced that we would begin our descent.
Harold helped me straighten my handbag beneath the seat.
“Tell me something, Martha,” he said quietly. “Do you always turn airplane passengers into life lessons?”
“Only the particularly difficult ones.”
“And what category do I fall into?”
“Undetermined.”
He laughed.
Then he glanced toward Brittany.
She was sitting quietly, her phone still in her bag, her hair safely braided behind her shoulders.
For the first time all afternoon, she was not trying to capture anyone’s attention.
She was simply sitting there, looking out the window.
As the aircraft descended through the clouds, she turned toward me.
“Martha?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Do you think I’m a bad person?”
The question caught me off guard.
I looked at her carefully before answering.
“I think you behaved badly today. That is not the same thing as saying your entire character is beyond hope.”
