Leslie rubbed her temple as she made her way to the plane, her head pounding from last night’s party. The club in Atlanta had been wild, the music loud, the drinks strong. Now, she was paying the price.
“Amy!” Leslie spotted her fellow flight attendant and rushed over. “Please tell me you have some headache pills.”
Amy rolled her eyes but reached into her bag. “Of course, I do. But, Leslie, you should know better than to party the night before a cross-country flight.”
Leslie groaned. “What else am I supposed to do? Visit museums?” She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “At least partying keeps me distracted.”
Amy nudged her playfully. “One day, everything will work out for you, Leslie. Just have faith.”
Leslie forced a smile, but deep down, she wasn’t so sure.
The two women boarded the plane and got to work, helping passengers find their seats, giving the safety demonstration, and ensuring everything was in order. Once things settled down, Leslie slipped away to the galley and swallowed the pills Amy had given her.
“I wonder if Amy will mind if I take a quick nap in the crew quarters,” she muttered. Just as she turned to ask, she froze.
A strange sound drifted from the bathroom. A soft, high-pitched whimper.
Leslie frowned and listened closely. Maybe she was imagining things? Last night’s partying had clearly left her in rough shape. She shook her head and started to walk away when she heard it again.
A tiny, trembling sound.
That wasn’t in her head. And it wasn’t normal.
Leslie stepped toward the bathroom door and knocked lightly. “Hello? Is someone in there?”
No answer.
She hesitated before carefully pushing the door open. The moment she did, she let out a startled scream.
Curled up in the corner was a small, shivering boy. His big, tear-filled eyes stared up at her in fear.
“Don’t do that!” Leslie gasped, pressing a hand to her chest, her heart racing. “You scared me half to death!”
The boy sniffled but didn’t respond. He hugged his knees tightly, his small body trembling.
Leslie took a deep breath to steady herself. Now that the shock had passed, she felt a pang of sympathy for the child.
She crouched down and softened her voice. “Hey, I’m sorry for yelling. You just surprised me. I’m Leslie. What’s your name?”
The boy wiped his nose on his sleeve and mumbled, “Ben.”
Leslie smiled gently. “Well, Ben, what are you doing in here?”
More tears welled up in his eyes. He didn’t answer.
Leslie helped him to his feet and led him to one of the crew jump seats. As she tucked him in, she decided to check the passenger list. He had to be listed somewhere, right? Maybe he got separated from his family?
But as she scanned the list once, twice, three times—her stomach twisted.
Ben’s name wasn’t there.
Leslie glanced at the boy, her mind racing. Who was he? How had he gotten on the plane? Where was his family?
She sat beside him and gently placed a hand on his arm. “Sweetheart, are you lost? I can help you if you tell me where your family is.”
Ben let out a soft sob and clutched a small paper bag to his chest. Leslie’s pulse quickened. She’d heard enough horror stories about people sneaking dangerous things onto planes.
“What’s in the bag, Ben?” she asked carefully.
Ben hugged it tighter. “It’s Granny’s medicine.” His voice wobbled. “She’s going to die without it… and it’ll be all my fault.”
Over the next few hours, Leslie gently coaxed the full story out of him. Ben was the youngest of several brothers, all of whom were athletic and mischievous. Unlike them, Ben loved science. He dreamed of discovering cures for diseases, but his experiments often led to explosions and messes, much to his mother’s frustration.
“I just wanted her to be proud of me,” Ben whispered. “But she only ever looks at my brothers that way.”
Leslie’s heart ached for him.
His grandmother had recently fallen ill, and the family was traveling to Seattle to bring her life-saving medicine. But at the airport, Ben got separated from his family. He thought he saw his mother boarding the plane, so he followed her.
“But she wasn’t my mom,” Ben said, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks. “I got on the wrong plane. Now Granny won’t get her medicine in time. She’s going to die, and it’s all my fault.”
Leslie reassured him as best as she could. When they landed in Los Angeles, authorities were alerted. Leslie felt terrible for Ben, but she was ready to move on.
Until she found out what the airline had arranged.
She stared at the boy in shock. “You’re saying I have to take care of him?”
The airline had booked Ben a hotel room, but since he was a minor, he needed an adult with him. That adult was Leslie.
“This isn’t fair,” she muttered. She had a list of clubs she wanted to check out in L.A., but instead, she was stuck babysitting.
That night, they ate pizza in silence. Just as Leslie was considering how to ditch her unexpected responsibility, her phone rang.
Her heart sank at the sound of her mother’s worried voice. “Leslie… it’s Joe.”
Leslie’s stomach clenched. “What? What’s wrong with my baby?”
“The doctor said he might have a genetic disease. They need you to come in for tests.”
Leslie’s vision blurred with tears. She longed to hold her son, to smell his soft curls, to promise him everything would be okay.
Ben hesitated before stepping forward. “Miss Leslie?”
She wiped her tears. “Yes, sweetie?”
Ben held out the bag of medicine. “If I can’t save my Granny… maybe I can help you. Take this for Joe.”
Leslie stared at him, overwhelmed by the kindness of a child she had just met.
Then, an idea hit her.
“I have a better plan,” she said, pulling out her phone. “I’m getting you to Seattle, Ben. And then, I’m going home to my son.”
Leslie paid for Ben’s ticket out of her own pocket and arranged time off work. As they boarded the flight, Ben trembled.
“What if I’m too late?” he whispered. “What if Granny is already gone?”
Leslie ruffled his hair. “Your mom loves you, Ben. No matter what. She’ll just be happy you’re safe.”
Ben didn’t believe her—until they landed. His family rushed forward, smothering him in hugs and kisses. His mother sobbed, holding him tight. “I’ll never ignore you again,” she promised.
Leslie watched, tears in her own eyes. Then, she flew home.
But Joe was far from okay. He was frail, weak. The doctors had no answers. Money was running out.
Then came a knock that changed everything.
Leslie opened the door—and gasped.
“Ben?”
The boy beamed, holding out an envelope. “It’s for Joe.”
Leslie opened it and nearly dropped it in shock. A check for over $100,000.
Ben’s mom wiped away tears. “We raised the money for my mother’s treatment, but… she didn’t make it. We want you to have it for Joe.”
Leslie clutched the check to her chest, sobbing. “This is the greatest gift I’ve ever received.”
Thanks to Ben’s family, Joe got the treatment he needed. A month later, he was back to his happy, playful self.
As Leslie watched him run outside, she whispered, “And it’s all thanks to Ben.”
