Delayed
"So you're really going home?"
"Yeah, I guess I am."
"Why? You know Mom'll be drunk the whole time, and she'll either ask you for money or steal it from you."
Jason Walker knew his older brother was right. Their mother was a hardcore alcoholic who'd given up caring about even trying to quit years ago. He also knew she was their mother, and neither one of them had gone back to see her in the last ten years.
It was also true that until their father died she'd been the best mom a boy could ever have. After that, well, not so much. And to make matters worse, without their father, her two boys needed her more than ever, but once she turned to booze to make the pain go away, things got worse. Worse to the point that child protective services came to their house and removed them from the home.
The home she still lived in was paid for thanks to a healthy amount of life insurance money that had allowed her to pay the taxes each year, buy enough to eat, and drink to her heart's content. Even so, she'd nearly gone through the half-million dollar, double-indemnity payout, and once it was gone it was very possible she could end up in jail for not paying the taxes. Then again, with the amount she drank and the number of years she'd been doing that, her life was probably better measured in months more than years.
"I know, Jerry, but she's our mom."
"Jason? She may have given birth to us, but she's not our mom."
"I understand, but I'm going anyway. I can't tell you why other than what I just said. All I know is I feel like I've gotta go home."
"Home. That's rich."
Not knowing what else to say he told his brother he'd talk to him soon.
The line went dead without a response, but then again, he and his big brother weren't exactly close, either. They'd been separated in foster care, and while they'd initially tried to stay in touch it was extremely difficult. By the time Jerry turned 18 he just wanted out and joined the Army, leaving his younger brother with another family, something that turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Jason.
Here it was, It was almost Christmas, and that was one of two times either of them bothered communicating. It was typically a short text with something like 'Merry Fucking Christmas' at the end. The other was on their birthday. Jason was five years younger than Jerry to the day. They'd been born on the same day in June, so that made remembering it easy, but it was really just another excuse not to have to talk to the other person an additional time each year.
Jason was just arriving at the Seattle-Tacoma airport in an Uber when he got Jerry's semi-annual text which prompted his younger brother, because of his decision to go 'home', to give him a call. As he put his phone away after the short, rather cryptic 'chat', he took care of the fee on the Uber app plus a tip then went inside.
He started heading toward the United ticket counter now wondering why he'd thought it was so important to go see someone he hadn't even spoken to on the phone since 2018 and it had been many more years since he'd seen her in person.
"Because she's your mother," he told himself as he checked the signs on the wall and saw that United was to his left.
He was two hours early, and the line for security was still a mile long. But it 'twas the season, and long lines were just a part of the new reality of flying. Pilot shortages caused cancellations and delays all the time, and the shortage was expected to get a lot worse by 2030 as older pilots retired and fewer younger people had the resources or interest to complete the required training.
Then there was weather to deal with. There may have been a pilot shortage but there was no shortage of Karens or Kens making asses out of themselves onboard or in a terminal which meant long delays waiting for the police to show up and remove the drunk and/or obnoxious passenger.
Jason put his earbuds in and listened to a podcast as he inched his way toward the screening area. He hadn't flown for a couple of years, and while the Seattle-Tacoma airport called 'SeaTac' was jammed with people, he was still looking forward to flying. Even in coach.
Jason worked for the Boeing Company. He was currently employed as a systems engineer on Boeing's 787, a job he truly loved. The old saying was true: if you do something you love you'll never work a day in your life. The only work he did was working out, another passion he'd picked up while in foster care.
He'd been lucky to be placed with a family that was obsessed with fitness and education. His foster dad was a civil engineer who had a home gym he spent an hour in every day. Jason had been 15 when CPS placed him there, and he credited this man and his wife with saving his life. They not only helped him with getting physically healthy and strong, they taught him to believe in himself and see life as a challenge to be met head-on every day. And above all else they stressed getting an education. Jason had a flair for math, and his new dad spent a ton of time with him encouraging and helping him, things for which he was grateful every single day.
Even now he considered them his parents and spoke to them at least twice a week although 'speaking' was often just texting, but he loved staying in touch with them. Either he flew to Dallas to see them or they flew to the Seattle area to see him at least once a year. So while he was going to see his birth mother, he would be staying with his adoptive family, so it was actually a win-win no matter how things shook out with his female parent.
The podcast was 53 minutes in length, and just as it was ending a TSA agent motioned for him to come forward. Less than a minute later he had his carry-on in hand and a small backpack re-slung over his shoulder.
He was grateful not to have to physically check in at the counter as that had already been done electronically. He had his boarding pass in hand and now only needed to hear the boarding call for his flight. He looked at his watch, a college graduation present from his 'mom and dad', and realized he still had a lengthy wait ahead of him.
The seating area was packed, but he found one empty seat, and to his pleasant surprise, it was on the end of a row. He sat down, placed his things under his seat and as close to his right side as he could then got ready to listen to another podcast.
About 20 minutes into it, the person to his left got up and grabbed his things. Less than three seconds later another passenger slid in next to him. He wasn't really paying attention until he saw a blonde ponytail that swished the side of his face when she sat down and quickly looked to her left. It didn't bother him in the least, but because he wasn't looking his arm came up in 'self defense.'
The woman noticed and apologized.
"Sorry! Did I get you?" she asked.
As she turned to look at him Jason saw a beautiful face with clear, smooth skin, blue eyes, silky blonde hair, and an amazing smile surrounded by two soft, full lips.
"No. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but that was an involuntary reaction. You know, like when someone throws a punch. With...her ponytail."
She laughed then told him her name was Diana before apologizing again.
Jason then introduced himself and let her know that he was pretty sure he'd live.
"I'm glad. Oh, and merry Christmas, by the way," the very attractive blonde woman said.
"Thanks. Same to you."
"I take it you're flying to Dallas. Business or pleasure?"
"Definitely not business, and the jury's still out on whether or not they'll be any pleasure," he told her with a laugh.
"I'm normally not chatty, but I get nervous when I fly, so if I'm bothering you just...shut me up, okay?"
"What? You're not bothering me, Diana. It's actually nice to have someone to talk to."
That was true, but only because Jason found her disarmingly attractive. He was basically an introvert who got his energy from his own private thoughts while spending time alone. He tolerated people well, and being a very good looking guy himself, people--especially women--tolerated him, too, and no small amount of them enjoyed his company. Not physically in most cases but just being around them was a pleasant experience for them.
"How about you?" he asked her.
"Job interview," she replied. "I'm a registered nurse, and there's a doctor who used to work at the hospital where I'm currently employed downtown. He went into private practice last year, and we kind of stayed in touch. He's looking in for an RN, and I'm looking to get out of Seattle. He's also a very nice man and...single...and this is when both had the time to make this work."
