Part 2Bringing Her Home

Seeing my mom’s reply and the dozens of well wishes on my post, I finally let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

There. Now no one could possibly say I didn't have a girlfriend.

As the plane began to taxi, the flight attendant instructed everyone to switch their phones to airplane mode. Then, she started beverage service.

When she got to our row, the flight attendant, Jessica, had the same mishap as last time. Another passenger bumped into her, causing her to spill a little orange juice on me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, so sorry," Jessica apologized, reaching for some napkins.

But Sarah was quicker. She was already dabbing at the stain on my shirt with a tissue.

"It's okay, I've got it," she said gently.

Jessica offered a polite smile of thanks. Then she looked at me and said with genuine warmth, "Your girlfriend is so sweet."

I stared at Jessica, really stared at her. In my last life, she had said those exact words. But after Sarah vanished, when I frantically asked if she'd seen my girlfriend, she had just looked at me with a blank expression.

"Sir, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"I'm quite sure I saw you board alone."

To prevent her from changing her story this time, I immediately put on a friendly smile.

"Could I ask you for a small favor?"

Jessica looked at me, puzzled. "What is it?"

I held up my phone. "Today is the first time I'm taking my girlfriend home to meet my parents, and I want to document the trip. Would you mind taking a quick photo with us?"

"Just as a memento."

Jessica nodded without hesitation.

"Of course."

We snapped a quick selfie: me, Sarah, and Jessica the flight attendant.

I saved the photo carefully, then turned my attention to the elderly man sitting across the aisle, Mr. Peters. He was in his late sixties, and his seat was the closest to ours. In my past life, another passenger had bumped into him while he was finding his seat, and Sarah had been the one to catch him and help him get settled. He had thanked her profusely at the time.

That's why he was the first person I had asked.

But his response had been chillingly firm. He claimed the seat next to me had been empty the entire flight.

To make sure he remembered Sarah this time, I gently tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir."

He looked up. "Yes?"

I feigned nervousness and gestured toward Sarah.

"I was just wondering… what do you think of my girlfriend? My parents haven't met her yet, and I'm a little anxious."

Mr. Peters gave Sarah a thorough, kind look, then nodded in approval.

"She's a very beautiful young woman. A perfect match for you."

"Your parents will be thrilled."

His answer was a small relief. I thanked him and sank back into my seat, lost in thought.

Both Jessica and Mr. Peters had reacted naturally. There was no hesitation in their words, no shiftiness in their eyes.

So where did it all go wrong? Why, after interacting directly with Sarah, would they later deny ever having seen her?

I decided to take it a step further. I pulled Sarah to her feet.

Under her confused gaze, I raised my voice and addressed the entire cabin.

"Excuse me, everyone. Sorry to bother you for just a moment."

"Today is a very important day for me. I'm taking my girlfriend home to meet my parents for the first time. We've been together for three years, and we're planning to get engaged right after this trip."

"To be flying with all of you at thirty thousand feet on such a special occasion feels like a unique kind of fate. So, I was hoping you could all give us your blessing. Would that be okay?"

A ripple of interest went through the cabin as all eyes turned to us.

They didn't disappoint. A warm, friendly round of applause filled the air.

"Congratulations! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!"

"You two are so cute together! All the best!"

"Can't wait for the wedding!"

Amid the chorus of good wishes, Sarah beamed, her cheeks flushed a bright red. After thanking everyone, she quickly pulled me back into my seat.

"Alex, what has gotten into you today?" she whispered, embarrassed but pleased. "You're being so public."

I squeezed her hand tightly, my voice deadly serious.

"I'm just so afraid of losing you."

Now the entire plane was our witness.

Nothing could possibly go wrong this time.