## Seat 18A

“Yes,” she finally told him. “We can try.”

“What if there aren’t any?”

“Then we’ll sit in the seats we have.”

Theo nodded and went back to his comic.

Mara kept her eyes on the window. Below them, roads and neighborhoods were appearing through the clouds. She had nearly spent the entire flight in the wrong seat because refusing in front of strangers felt harder than being disappointed in private.

She had even rehearsed an apology before asking to move back.

When the plane landed, everyone stood too soon, as people always did. Mara waited while the aisle filled with bags and coats. Theo’s mother took down their backpacks.

“Mara?” the woman said.

Mara turned. She couldn’t remember giving her name until she saw it printed on the boarding pass still sticking out of her book.

“I’m Rachel,” the woman said. “I’m sorry I put you on the spot.”

Mara had expected another explanation. She wasn’t prepared for an apology.

“Thank you,” she said.

Rachel glanced at Theo, who was busy fastening his backpack. “We missed our earlier connection. He was upset, and I told myself it was only a seat.” She paused. “I should have asked before putting him in it.”

Mara thought about saying she understood. In part, she did. She also remembered Rachel raising her voice when the promised ten minutes were over.

“I would have appreciated being able to decide before he sat down,” Mara said.

Rachel nodded. “You’re right.”

Theo looked up. “I’m sorry too.”

“You don’t need to apologize for being excited about the window,” Mara told him. “I like it as much as you do.”

“Even though you’re grown up?”

“Especially then.”

That earned a real smile.

The line in the aisle began moving. Rachel guided Theo ahead of her, and Mara followed them off the plane. At the gate, they went in different directions without another word.

Mara found her sister waiting near baggage claim. She held up a paper sign with Mara’s name on it, decorated by her three-year-old daughter in purple marker. Mara laughed, then hugged them both.

“How was the flight?” her sister asked as they headed for the exit.

Mara pictured Theo’s face against the window during takeoff. She pictured her own reflection there later, with the clouds turning pink behind it.

“An odd one,” she said. “I’ll tell you on the way.”

She took her niece’s hand. The story would take a few minutes to tell. The moment she had finally asked for her seat back had taken less than one.