She paused beside me.
“Ma’am, is everything all right?”
There it was.
My chance.
I could have told her.
He keeps pushing into my seat.
My hip hurts.
I’ve asked him repeatedly to move.
Instead, I glanced at Josh.
He had removed one headphone.
He was watching me.
And I smiled.
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’m fine.”
She nodded and continued.
The moment she walked away, his knee pressed into mine again.
I wanted to kick myself.
Why hadn’t I said anything?
Because passengers were watching.
Because confrontation embarrassed me.
Because I didn’t want to become “that woman” making trouble on an airplane.
Because some part of me kept believing Josh would eventually realize he was being selfish.
I looked down at my book.
I had read the same page four times.
Then I took out my phone.
Another photograph from Marianne.
Rose wearing a knitted hat that was far too large for her tiny head.
