Claire pressed napkins carefully against Naomi’s sleeve.
“We can get you something dry.”
Naomi nodded.
That sounded reasonable.
Then Claire said the wrong thing.
“We may also be able to find another seat for you so everyone can settle down.”
Naomi froze.
The woman beside her leaned back.
The smallest smile appeared.
Not enough that Claire noticed.
Naomi did.
“Another seat?”
Claire spoke gently.
“Just so you’re more comfortable.”
“My ticket says this seat.”
“Yes, but—”
“My mom paid for this seat.”
“I understand.”
“Then why am I moving?”
Claire stopped.
The question seemed to surprise her.
The older woman answered.
“Because this is becoming ridiculous.”
Naomi looked toward her.
“You spilled the water.”
“I moved the tray.”
“You pushed it.”
“You shouldn’t have put a drink there.”
“It was your water.”
That produced several murmurs from nearby passengers.
The older woman’s face reddened.
Claire stood.
“Ma’am, enough.”
For the first time, the flight attendant sounded firm.
The woman turned toward her.
“Excuse me?”
“You need to stop speaking to her like that.”
There was a brief silence.
Naomi looked up.
Claire had changed.
Only slightly.
Maybe the phones had changed things.
Maybe Naomi’s refusal to move had.
Maybe Claire simply reached the point where patience became embarrassment.
Whatever the reason, Naomi felt safer.
Then the cockpit door opened.
A captain stepped into First Class.
He was tall, perhaps in his late forties, with short dark hair graying at the temples and the controlled expression of someone who had heard noise in his aircraft and intended to make it stop.
“What happened?”
Claire turned.
“Captain, we’ve had a passenger issue.”
The older woman immediately spoke.
“This child was seated next to me without proper supervision.”
Naomi stared.
Even Claire looked shocked by that version.
The captain’s eyes moved toward Naomi.
Blue dress.
Wet.
Photograph held against her chest.
He looked toward the broken arrangement on the console.
Then toward the woman.
“Was the child injured?”
“No,” Claire said.
“Just soaked.”
The captain stepped closer.
Naomi shifted the frame.
The movement exposed the photograph fully.
The captain stopped.
Naomi noticed before anyone else.
His entire face changed.
Not recognition at first.
Something more violent.
Like memory entering too quickly.
He took one step closer.
Then another.
Naomi hugged the frame tighter.
The captain crouched in the aisle.
“May I see that?”