Second Chances

by Phelps, K. L.

  He knew the voice likely belonged to the man he'd just nearly run over, but Nathan didn't look up at him. He strained his neck toward the door. It was still closed, but then what had he expected?

  He struggled to get up, wincing when he put pressure on his right foot.

  "Hey buddy, I am talking to you."

  It wasn't until he felt the hand on his shoulder that Nathan acknowledged that the man was even there. Nathan's movements were a blur, at least to the dumpy guy. He whirled around, grabbing the man's arm at the wrist and squeezing. This time there was no mistaking the reason for the man's cry. Pain, pure and simple.

  The man opened his mouth to say something, but then he saw the look in Nathan's eyes and quickly looked away and mumbled, "Sorry, all my fault."

  Nathan never heard the man. He was already moving towards the doorway again, as fast as he could manage. He winced with each step, but his mind barely registered the pain. When he got to the door he automatically reached out and grabbed the handle. He pulled, but it didn't open.

  "Sir?"

  He pulled again a little harder. What the hell was wrong with this door?

  "Sir, you can't go down there."

  Nathan looked at the door, blinked and then pulled once more.

  "Sir?"

  He finally turned toward the voice. A pretty blond in a blue blazer and matching skirt looked at him, a puzzled look of concern on her face. He pointed at the door.

  "I'm sorry. The plane has already been cleared and is taxiing to the runway."

  He heard the words, but the expression on his face told the woman that he obviously did not comprehend the statement.

  "Were you supposed to be on that plane?" she asked slowly in a soft voice, as if talking with a small child.

  Was he supposed to be on that plane? The magnitude of the question seemed to overwhelm him. Was he? Was she? How could she be? Nathan didn't doubt what he'd seen. It had been her. How that was possible he didn't know, it just was.

  "Sir?"

  He noticed her voice had a slight tremor to it now and that she had backed up a step.

  Great, just what I need, the woman thought to herself. Where the heck is security? Crazy. Cute, but crazy.

  Nathan noticed the look in the woman's eyes and cursed himself.

  "God, I must...I must look like a total psycho," he said with a forced laugh as he rubbed the bump on his forehead.

  The woman seemed to instantly relax at the sound of his voice and his words.

  "Were you running late? Was that your flight?"

  He let out a sigh and seemed to think about the question for a moment.

  "No, but..."

  She waited, saying nothing. Maybe he wasn't crazy after all, just a bit disoriented. It looked like he'd had a recent blow to the head. She found the thought a little infuriating. She could just see the man getting jumped in one of the restrooms. Happened all the time these days despite the extra security. This city was going to hell.

  "Brenda, we have a line building here. What are you doing?"

  The woman talking with Nathan turned to see her friend Susan gesturing to the long line of passengers at the counter.

  "I'll be with you in a minute. I think this guy got jumped."

  Susan looked passed her friend and offered Nathan a weak smile. She doubted Brenda would have been half as concerned if the guy hadn't been as cute as he was.

  "Want me to call security, Bren?"

  "No," Nathan answered quickly. So quickly it startled both of the ladies. "I mean, no thank you. I wasn't jumped. I tripped."

  "Are you sure you are okay?" Brenda asked.

  "Where was that flight going?"

  "Chicago."

  "Chicago? Why would she be going to Chicago? Was that it's final destination?"

  "No. Chicago's a major hub so there are a bunch of connectors and the eventual destination of that jet was Los Angeles.

  Nathan shifted his weight and winced at the jolt of pain that shot up his leg.

  "Sir, are you..."

  "Nathan, please. I can't stand sir."

  "Okay, Nathan," she said with a smile. "Are you sure you are okay?"

  Nathan nodded.

  "Like I said, I tripped. I was trying to catch the plane."

  "That plane?"

  He nodded again.

  "That plane that you weren't supposed to be on?"

  "Well not the plane. The woman. The last one you let on before you shut the door. I think...I think that was my wife."

  Brenda couldn't suppress her frown.

  "She wasn't traveling with you? You weren't expecting to see her here?"

  Nathan did not know how to explain just how much of an understatement that was, so he only murmured, "No."

  "Sorry," Brenda whispered and continued to frown.

  Who would cheat on a guy like this? Did they have a fight? Did she hit him? Was that what the bump on his head was from? Did he hit her? She hadn't looked like anything was wrong. She had seemed a bit flustered, but no more than any other person who had come only moments from missing their flight. She certainly hadn't given the impression she was on the run from anything, only trying to ensure she made her flight.

  "I don't suppose that you could tell me what her destination was?"

  "That would be a breech of confidentiality, sir...Nathan."

  "Please," he began, his voice barely a whisper. "You've no idea how important this is to me."

  She looked into his eyes and recognized what was there. She had to force herself not to tear up, the man's pain was so visible, so raw.

  "I'll see what I can do. Come on," she said, taking him by the arm.

  "Bren?"

  "Just give me a minute, Susan." The tone of her voice more or less telling her friend to mind her own business.

  "Her name?"

  "Sorry?"

  "The woman, your wife. Her name?"

  "Oh, of course. Paige. Paige King."

  Brenda clicked away at her keyboard, her eyes dancing between the flickering screen and the man. A moment later, she turned her full attention to the screen and frowned.

  "Only King on that flight was a Thomas."

  "Kendall, try Paige Kendall, please."

  She clicked away at the keys again and a moment later she nodded.

  "Seat 19A, Paige Kendall. Transferring in Chicago with a final destination of San Diego."

  "San Diego?"

  "She have family there?"

  Nathan shook his head no.

  "She's originally from Kansas. San Diego? How the heck am I going to find her in San Diego?" His voice was flat, defeated.

  "Do you hit her?" Brenda asked forcefully in a hushed tone.

  "What?"

  "Do you hit her? Cheat on her? Abuse her? Is she running from you? Scared of you?"

  The shocked look on his face was all the answer she really needed, but she was reassured when he finally spoke.

  "N...no. I loved her. She was the love of my life."

  Coming from anyone else Brenda would have thought the words corny, but the sincerity in his voice tore at her heart.

  "You swear?"

  He simply looked at her, his pale blue eyes answering for him. She couldn't help herself. She reached out and brushed the few stray strands of his brown hair from his brow and then ran her fingers lightly over his cheek. She offered him a sad smile and then turned her attention back to her computer and began typing furiously for a few moments before turning back to him.

  "She has a three hour layover in Chicago. I can get you a seat on that flight to San Diego. American has a flight leaving in ten minutes for Chicago. There are two seats open on it. Gate seventeen, other end of the airport. Shall I call them and tell them you are coming?"

  "Gate seventeen?"

  She nodded.

  He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek, before turning and moving as fast as his ankle would allow.

  Brenda reached for her phone. She picked it up and then stopped, a pu
zzled look on her face.

  "Earth to Bren. Now that you've helped the cute guy out, do you think you could maybe do your job and help me?"

  Brenda didn't acknowledge Susan. She simply bit her lower lip, lost in thought.

  "Bren? What is it?"

  "He said, he'd loved her, that she was the love of his life."

  "Well, that is real sweet and I am terribly sorry for your loss. I know how much you two meant to each other," Susan said sarcastically. "But do you think you could put a Band-Aid on your broken heart and try to work?"

  Brenda couldn't help but laugh.

  "Yeah, just a second," she said as she dialed over to the American desk.

  Twenty minutes later, when she'd dealt with the final passenger, her mind returned to Nathan. She wondered if he had made the flight, but even more she wondered what he'd meant. She heard his voice over and over in her mind and wondered if she had done the right thing.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The flight to Chicago was a nightmare. Nathan made the flight with plenty of time to spare, as the pilot was running late. He was forced to take a middle seat towards the back of the plane. On his right side an overweight insurance salesman tried repeatedly to drop less than subtle hints about the great rates he could get Nathan. If he were interested of course. Too much insurance? No such thing! To his left was a shriveled, white haired grandmother who insisted that Nathan look at every picture of her seven grandchildren. Every time he looked at her he was reminded of the blue haired woman from the airport. To top it all off, behind him was a mother and her two kids who bickered back and forth nonstop, with the little boy thinking the back of Nathan's chair was his personal kick-drum. Had it been up to Nathan, the two kids would have completed their trip in the overhead compartment. The stewardess smiled apologetically every time she passed. He refused her numerous offers for a drink, though he was sorely tempted.

  Nathan let out a sigh as the plane taxied toward their gate. He fought his desire to jump up and stretch his legs. He listened to one final appeal from the salesman, finally taking one of the man's business cards and promising that he would get in touch with him soon. He assisted the grandmother in getting her carry-on out of the luggage compartment and then he hurried off and away from the mother who was trying her best to corral her two bickering hellions.

  As he exited out of the jetway and into the airport, Nathan moved off out of the flow of traffic. The salesman's business card quickly found its way into a garbage can. He walked slowly over and looked at the screen displaying flight information. He had been in this airport many times and after a quick scan of the screens he noted that his connector was on the opposite end of the airport. This did not surprise him in the least. He actually smiled. No matter how many times he flew into this airport and no matter where he was going, his connecting flights always seemed to be on the opposite side from his arrival gate. He checked his watch and saw he had plenty of time.

  "What the hell am I doing?" he asked himself.

  "Eh?"

  Nathan looked over to see a man of about sixty in an ugly, rumpled brown suit looking at him.

  "You say something? You talking to me? If so, you'll need to speak up. I'm deaf in one ear."

  "No," Nathan said, raising his voice a little. "Just talking to myself, I guess."

  "Oh," the man said with a nod. "Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. As long as you don't argue with yourself."

  That had been exactly what he'd been doing, but he decided not to tell him that. Nathan waited for the man to walk away before resuming his discussion with himself.

  "It can't be her, right? I mean, how the hell could it be?"

  He'd asked himself the same questions dozens of times during the flight, but somehow it felt better to actually vocalize his doubts.

  However, he couldn't deny what he'd seen. He had seen Paige. The woman he'd fallen completely in love with. The woman he'd wanted to bear his children. The woman he'd taken as his wife and pledged to love and cherish.

  "'Til death do we part," he murmured

  And that was exactly what had parted them. He'd buried her only a year ago.

  "Paige," he whispered. "Please, please let it be you."

  He wiped at his eyes, unsure if there were actual tears or only memories of countless ones he'd shed over the past year. He hefted his bag on his shoulder and started to move slowly down the concourse.

  Nathan's stomach rumbled. Whether with excitement or apprehension he wasn't sure. He slipped into one of the stores along the concourse and grabbed a pack of Rolaids from the shelf and got in line. He peered into the display cases around the register as he waited. He was always amazed by the assorted collection of odds and ends that one could find in an airport shop. There did not seem to be any rhyme or reason to the available goods. In the far corner of the store was a collection of cheap stuffed animals sitting only a few feet from a display case with collections of fine hand crafted figurines. There was a rack of the obligatory t-shirts, the same as in any airport. The local sports franchises were always well represented within the mix. In fact it was local hero Michael Jordan that was center stage in the case directly in front of the register. He'd been retired for ages, yet his merchandise continued to be a big seller.

  "Is that going to be all?"

  Nathan looked up from the case he'd been perusing. A woman in a white shirt and jeans smiled at him from behind the counter. She was slim, perhaps a bit too slim, her face lined from a hard life, but her smile was genuine. A name tag on her shirt read Joan.

  "Umm...yeah...oh that's nice," Nathan remarked as his eyes flicked back down into the display case.

  "The autographed Jordan jersey?"

  Nathan laughed, it was a full laugh and felt good.

  "No. I am not much of a basketball fan. I meant that necklace."

  "The silver cross?"

  "Yes," Nathan said, nodding.

  "Seems to be very popular today."

  "Oh?"

  "Yeah. A young lady was looking at it less then an hour ago."

  Nathan felt his legs go weak and he placed both hands on the case. It had been Paige. He knew it. He didn't need to ask the woman what she'd looked like, he already knew.

  My God, it really was Paige.

  "Would you care to see it?"

  Not trusting his voice, Nathan simply nodded.

  The woman unlocked the case and withdrew the necklace, handing it over to Nathan. He felt a thrill run through him as he took it. Less than an hour ago Paige had held this very object. He was certain of it.

  "Surprising, isn't it?" the woman asked with a smile, mistaking the expression upon Nathan's face. "Much heavier than it appears. It is definitely a quality piece."

  Nathan continued to nod. It was a simple silver cross on a long silver chain. It was subtle in design, but gorgeous nonetheless.

  "Which," she said with a sigh, "is why it has been in the case for so long. It's definitely more expensive than most people in an airport are willing to spend. I told Hal, our manager, that if people want fine jewelry then they will get it from a jewelry store. Which, amazingly, we now actually have in the airport. Of course he never listens to me, which I guess is why we have two crates of O.J. Simpson autobiographies sitting in the back."

  "I'll take it."

  "An O.J. autobiography?"

  "No, this necklace," Nathan answered quickly before seeing her smile and realizing she had been joking.

  "Are you sure?" she asked, lowering her voice a little. "I mean, I know the customer is always right and if Hal was here I would never even say this, but I am certain you can get this much, much cheaper outside of the airport. I feel bad enough gouging you almost three-fifty for those Rolaids."

  "I'm certain. I want this particular necklace. This exact one. The money isn't important."

  "Two questions. Where have you been all my life? And, are there any more like you at home?"

  Nathan gave her a puzzled look.

  "Joking of course," sh
e said quickly when it was apparent that he hadn't gotten the joke. "Allow me to box that up."

  Nathan reluctantly relinquished the necklace, but his eyes never left it during the entire time it was in Joan's possession.

  "Is that going to be it?"

  Nathan was about to say yes, but stopped and suddenly plucked a pack of gum from the shelf.

  "This too."

  He didn't flinch when she gave him the total, didn't so much as blink. He simply handed her a credit card and waited for her to run it through the machine.

  As soon as he was out of the store, Nathan took the necklace out of the bag and slipped it into his jacket pocket. He then took two of the Rolaids, unsure though if he no longer needed them or if perhaps he'd be better served by downing the entire roll.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Nathan decided not to waste anymore time wandering around the airport. He also decided not to waste anymore time wondering if the woman he had seen was Paige. There was no question that it was. How exactly that was possible he didn't know, it just was. He could puzzle out the how after. For now, he simply accepted it.

  He worked his way to the correct gate and got in line for his boarding pass. His eyes darted around the surrounding area and the people seated around the gate.

  "Can I help you?" asked a pretty, young woman behind the counter.

  Nathan explained about his last minute travel plans and his need for his boarding pass. She said she'd be delighted to assist him and asked for his identification.

  "Okay. Let me see, Mr. King. Yes, here we are."

  "Uh...could you tell me who I'm sitting next to? I mean they were going to try and see if..."

  The woman was nodding her head.

  "Yes, I see the note here," she said pointing to her computer screen. "We were able to get you your requested seat assignment. You'll be in seat 12-B"

  Nathan closed his eyes and felt the world whirl around him. He took a slow deep breath, reaching out to hold onto the counter to help steady himself. He couldn't believe everything was going his way. He opened his eyes, whispered a thank you to the woman and took the documents she offered him.

  Nathan took a seat. However, he was bursting with anticipation and soon found himself fidgeting, which started to draw strange looks from the people around him. He finally got up and began to walk around the surrounding gates to burn off his nervous energy.