That night, after Daniel fell asleep, she bought a ticket for the same flight.
She imagined his face when he saw her after landing. She would wear the red dress he loved, surprise him at the destination, and they would still celebrate their anniversary together.
The next morning, she curled her hair, did her makeup carefully, and slipped into the dress. At the airport, she spotted Daniel near the gate in uniform and quickly hid behind a pillar before he could see her.
She boarded near the end, took her seat in 14C, and kept her face down.
Then the plane pulled away from the gate.
Daniel’s voice came through the speaker.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain…”
Mercy smiled, waiting for the normal announcement.
But Daniel paused.
“Before we take off, I want to say something to someone very special on this plane tonight.”
Mercy’s heart jumped. For one crazy second, she thought he had discovered her surprise.
Then he continued.
“To the beautiful woman in 15C… you mean everything to me. I don’t want to hide how I feel anymore. Soon, we won’t have to.”
The cabin broke into applause.
Mercy froze.
She was not in 15C.
And Daniel was not speaking to his wife.
