Stella finally got to her business class seat on the airline. However, one man refused to sit next to her and instructed the flight attendant that the older woman should be in economy class. The hostess denied his request, allowing Stella to take her seat. Stella then shared the most bittersweet story of her life.
“I don’t want to sit next to that… woman!” Franklin Delaney almost yelled at the flight attendant who had accompanied an older woman and told him she was seated next to him.
“Sir, this is her seat. We can’t do anything about it,” the stewardess said gently, trying to persuade the businessman who had a scowl on his face.
“That cannot be true. These seats are ridiculously pricey, and she couldn’t possibly afford one! “Look at her clothing!” Franklin nearly shrieked, pointing to the older woman’s clothes. Stella felt ashamed. She was dressed to the nines and resented the fact that others could see her attire was inexpensive.
Other people in business class turned to face them, while Stella Taylor, an older woman, gazed down at her feet. The brawl continued, delaying the plane’s full. Several additional flight attendants arrived, attempting to calm Franklin down.
Surprisingly, other passengers supported the guy. They agreed that the woman couldn’t have paid for the seat and urged her to leave. It was the most embarrassing experience Stella had ever had, and she eventually gave in.
“Miss, it’s ok. If you have another seat in economy, I’ll stay there. I spent all my savings on this seat, but it’s better not to inconvenience others,” she said, placing her hand on the stewardess’ arm gently.
The flight attendant did not want to fight with the businessman who refused to believe Stella was sat next to him despite showing him her boarding ID. The woman turned to Stella with a stern scowl, but the fury was not intended at her.
“No, madam. The flight attendant insisted, “You paid for this seat, and you deserve to sit here, regardless of what anyone says.”
She returned her attention to the man and threatened to contact airport security to escort him out. The man moaned in despair and let Stella to seat next to him. Stella dropped her purse as the plane took off.
Fortunately, the man was not utterly unreasonable and helped her get her belongings. But her ruby locket slipped out, and the man whistled at it. “Wow, this is something else,” he said.
“What do you mean?” Stella asked.
“I am an antique jeweler, and this locket is really precious. Those are obviously genuine rubies. “Am I wrong?” The man remarked, handing her the locket back. Stella took it back and glanced at it.
“I honestly have no idea. My father gave it to my mother many years ago, and she gave it to me when he didn’t return home,” Stella explained.
“What happened?” the man asked. “I’m sorry. My name is Franklin Delaney. I want to apologize for my earlier behavior. Some complicated things are happening in my life, and I shouldn’t have acted that way. May I ask what happened to your father?”
“My father was a fighter pilot during World War II. When America joined the war, he left home but gave this locket to my mother as a promise he would return. They loved each other dearly. I was only four years old at the time, but I remember that day clearly. He never returned,” Stella explained.
“That’s terrible.”
Franklin nodded without saying anything and looked at the second photo. “Is that your grandchild?” he asked unexpectedly.
“No, that’s my son, and actually, he’s the reason I’m on this flight,” the elder woman said.
“You’re going to see him?”
No, this is it. Do you recall when I stated I was having money issues? Well, I became pregnant several years ago. I was in my thirties when my partner disappeared. I had my son for several months, but it was evident that I would be unable to provide him with a good life. I did not have a support system. My mother had died years ago from dementia, so I gave him up for adoption,” Stella explained.
Franklin rubbed his head in confusion. “I’m not sure what you’re doing on this aircraft then. “You said you were here for him.”
“He’s the pilot for this flight. I’m here because it is his birthday. He was born on January 22, 1973, and I knew I would not be around for long, so I wanted to celebrate at least one of his birthdays with him. “This is the only way,” Stella explained, smiling at Franklin before returning her gaze to the locket.
She didn’t notice Franklin wiping an errant tear off his face or the fact that some flight attendants and several passengers had heard the story. After a few minutes, one stewardess went into the cockpit.
“Anyway, this is one of his longest routes, so I get to spend five hours near my son,” Stella said, finally closing the locket and placing it in her bag.
In her opinion, those five hours flew by, and when the pilot’s intercom came on, he informed that they would be arriving at JFK soon. Instead of terminating the communication, he continued his message.
“In addition, I’d like to welcome my birth mother, who is flying on my route for the first time.” Hello, Mom. “Wait for me when the plane lands,” John stated over the intercom. Stella’s eyes welled up, and Franklin grinned, guilty of his earlier unpleasant behavior. However, he has already apologized.
When John landed the jet, he broke protocol by exiting the cockpit and going straight to Stella, arms wide open, hugging her tightly. All of the passengers and flight attendants celebrated and clapped for them.
Nobody heard it, but John whispered in Stella’s ear, thanking her for doing what was best for him all those years ago. After responding to her first email, John realized he wasn’t upset at his mother for giving him up, but he didn’t know what to say to her. So he apologized for not responding to her other emails and not listening to her previously. She assured him that there was nothing to apologize for, as she understood why.
