Leslie rubbed her temple as she walked toward the plane. Her head pounded, a painful reminder of the wild night she\u2019d spent partying at one of Atlanta\u2019s hottest clubs.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmy!\u201d Leslie called as soon as she spotted her fellow flight attendant. \u201cPlease tell me you have some headache pills.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amy rolled her eyes but reached into her bag. \u201cOf course I do, but Leslie, you should know better than to party the night before a cross-country flight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leslie sighed. \u201cWhat else am I supposed to do? Visit museums? At least partying keeps me distracted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amy gave Leslie a gentle nudge. \u201cOne day, everything will work out for you, Leslie. Just have faith.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leslie and Amy got straight to work as soon as they boarded the plane. They prepared for passengers, conducted the safety demonstration, and ensured everyone was settled. Once everything was under control, Leslie slipped to the galley and swallowed the headache pills Amy had given her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wonder if Amy will mind if I take a quick nap in the crew quarters,\u201d Leslie murmured to herself, rubbing her temples. She was about to ask when a strange sound made her freeze.<\/p>\n
Leslie held her breath and listened. Nothing. Maybe she was imagining things. Maybe Amy was right about her partying too much. She had already planned to hit several clubs when they landed in L.A., but maybe she\u2019d take it easy and skip a few.<\/p>\n
Just as she passed the bathroom door, she heard it again\u2014a soft, high-pitched whimper. It wasn\u2019t the hum of the engines or the chatter of passengers. It almost sounded like\u2026 crying?<\/p>\n
Leslie knocked on the bathroom door. \u201cHello? Is everything okay in there?\u201d<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
A strange feeling crept up her spine. Slowly, she opened the door\u2014and let out a sharp scream.<\/p>\n
Huddled in the corner was a small, shivering bundle. A young boy looked up at her with big, tear-filled eyes.<\/p>\n
Leslie pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. \u201cDon\u2019t do that! You scared me half to death!\u201d<\/p>\n
The boy sniffled, hugging his knees. Seeing how frightened he was, Leslie\u2019s frustration melted away. She crouched down, softening her voice. \u201cHey, I\u2019m sorry I shouted. You just surprised me. I\u2019m Leslie. What\u2019s your name?\u201d<\/p>\n
The boy wiped his nose with his sleeve. \u201cBen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leslie gently helped him up and led him to one of the crew\u2019s jump seats. As she settled him in, she pulled out the passenger list and scanned it for his name. But something was wrong.<\/p>\n
Ben\u2019s name wasn\u2019t on the list.<\/p>\n
Leslie\u2019s heart skipped a beat. She checked again. Still nothing.<\/p>\n
She sat beside Ben, placing a comforting hand on his arm. \u201cBen, sweetie, are you lost? Do you know where your family is?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben let out a small sob and clutched a paper bag to his chest. Leslie\u2019s stomach tightened. She had heard too many horror stories about people sneaking dangerous substances onto flights.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s in the bag, Ben?\u201d she asked cautiously.<\/p>\n
Ben hugged it even tighter. \u201cIt\u2019s Granny\u2019s medicine,\u201d he whispered. \u201cShe\u2019s going to die without it\u2026 and it\u2019ll be all my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leslie\u2019s heart ached. Over the next few hours, she gently coaxed the whole story out of him.<\/p>\n
Ben was the youngest in a big family. While his older brothers played sports and got into trouble, Ben dreamed of being a scientist. But his mother didn\u2019t always understand his experiments\u2014especially when they exploded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wanted to find a cure for every sickness,\u201d he said, voice trembling. \u201cI wanted to make my mom proud. But instead of hugging me, she got mad and made me sit in the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n
When his grandmother got sick, the family planned a trip to Seattle to bring her medicine. But somehow, Ben got separated at the airport. He thought he saw his mom and followed her onto the plane.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut she wasn\u2019t my mom,\u201d Ben whispered. \u201cAnd now I\u2019m on the wrong plane. I wanted to be a hero, but now Granny is going to die because of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leslie\u2019s chest tightened. She alerted the airline as soon as they landed in L.A., hoping someone could reunite Ben with his family. But when she heard the airline\u2019s decision, she was shocked.<\/p>\n
Until further arrangements were made, she had to look after Ben.<\/p>\n
Leslie groaned as she stared at the small boy sitting on her hotel bed. This was not how she had planned her night. She had an entire list of clubs to check out! Now, she was stuck babysitting.<\/p>\n
Several times, she texted Amy and her other colleague, Brandon, begging them to take Ben for the night. But no one was willing to help. She even considered hiring a babysitter but quickly realized she couldn\u2019t afford it. She had to save every penny for home.<\/p>\n
As they silently ate a pizza she had ordered, Leslie\u2019s phone rang. The moment she answered, her stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy baby is sick?\u201d Leslie\u2019s voice shook. \u201cMom, what happened? Joe was fine the last time we talked. Did you take him to a doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d her mother said gently. \u201cAnd she referred us to a specialist. They mentioned a genetic disease. They might need you to come in for tests too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leslie\u2019s hand trembled. \u201cWhatever it takes, as long as my Joe gets better.\u201d<\/p>\n
When she ended the call, she curled into a ball and wept. She longed to hold her son, to smell his curly hair, to tell him everything would be okay. But her flight schedule hadn\u2019t taken her home in over a month. No amount of partying could fill the ache in her heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss Leslie?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked up and saw Ben standing there, holding out the paper bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I can\u2019t save my Granny,\u201d he whispered, \u201cat least I can help you. Take this for Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tears welled in Leslie\u2019s eyes. She gently closed his hand around the bag. \u201cI have a better idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
That night, she bought Ben a ticket to Seattle\u2014at her own expense. She also arranged leave and booked herself a flight home to Missoula.<\/p>\n
As they boarded their planes, Ben clutched her hand. \u201cWhat if Granny is already dead? Mom will never love me then.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leslie ruffled his hair. \u201cYour mom has always loved you, Ben. That\u2019s what parents do.\u201d<\/p>\n
When they landed, Ben\u2019s entire family rushed to hug him, his mother sobbing apologies. Leslie watched, smiling through her own tears.<\/p>\n
Her reunion with Joe was not as joyful. He was thinner, paler, weaker than she remembered. Holding him in her arms, she swore she would do whatever it took to make him better.<\/p>\n
As the days passed, Joe\u2019s condition worsened. The specialists had no answers. Leslie stretched her leave, but the airline refused to pay her. Money was running out.<\/p>\n
Then one evening, there was a knock at the door.<\/p>\n
Leslie opened it\u2014and gasped. \u201cBen?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben stood with his parents, holding an envelope. \u201cWe have something for you and Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leslie opened it. Her jaw dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s over a hundred thousand dollars!\u201d she gasped. \u201cI can\u2019t accept this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben\u2019s mom wiped her tears. \u201cWe started a fundraiser for my mother\u2019s treatment, but she\u2026\u201d She choked up. \u201cShe passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want you to have it,\u201d Ben\u2019s dad added. \u201cFor Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leslie clutched the check, sobbing. \u201cThis is the greatest gift I\u2019ve ever received.\u201d<\/p>\n
A month later, Joe was healthy again. As Leslie watched him laugh on the lawn, she whispered, \u201cAnd it\u2019s all thanks to Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n
She had one last call to make.<\/p>\n
The next day, Ben\u2019s mother answered the phone. Leslie smiled. \u201cI have good news. The airline is giving your family a lifetime discount on flights.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some debts, she knew, could never truly be repaid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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