Then Darius stopped talking.
It was only a pause.
Three seconds, maybe four.
But I knew my husband’s voice.
Something had changed.
When he spoke again, the confidence was gone.
“Actually, folks, before we leave…”
He cleared his throat.
“I’d like to say something a little different today.”
My smile faded.
Caleb still looked excited.
“There’s a very special person on this airplane.”
Caleb grabbed my arm.
“He knows!”
My heart jumped.
Had Darius somehow discovered us?
Maybe he had seen the passenger manifest.
Maybe a gate agent told him.
I raised my phone again.
Then Darius said a name I had never heard before.
“Simone Ellis.”
Caleb looked at me.
My stomach tightened.
Darius continued.
“Simone, I know the last few months haven’t been easy.
I know I asked you to trust me when I hadn’t given you many reasons to.”
The cabin seemed to become quieter.
