Chapter 2: What My Daughter Saw
Ten minutes after takeoff, Maya stood up.
Not to stretch.
Not to use the restroom.
She turned around, looked straight at me across three rows, and gave me a single slow nod.
Then she faced the woman in 11A and spoke clearly enough for the entire cabin to hear.
"Ma'am, I think the flight attendant needs to know what's under your leg."
The woman's smirk vanished.
"Sit down, little girl.
Right now."
"I saw it when I put my bag away," Maya continued, her voice steady and calm.
"It fell out of your coat pocket.
It has someone else's name on it."
The woman lunged forward and grabbed Maya's wrist.
That was when the passenger across the aisle stood up.
"Hey." His voice was sharp and low.
"Let go of the child."
The flight attendant was already moving up the aisle.
Fast.
The woman released Maya's wrist and pressed back into her seat, pulling her coat tightly across her lap.
But it was too late.
Maya had already picked it up.
She held it out to the flight attendant with both hands.
It was a boarding pass.
A different boarding pass.
With a different name.
And a different seat number.
The flight attendant stared at it.
Then at the woman.
May you like
Then back at the pass.
The entire cabin had gone completely silent.
