Amara stopped reading.
She set the letter down.
For several minutes, she looked out the window of her office.
Then she finished.
Evelyn did not ask for her job back.
She did not ask for forgiveness.
She only wrote:
“I hope losing the job was not the only lesson I take from this.”
Amara folded the letter.
She never replied.
Not because she rejected it.
Because she believed some apologies existed to repair the person giving them, not to create an obligation for the person harmed.
A year passed.
Christmas Eve returned.
Snow fell over New York again.
Meridian Crown’s terminal displayed another tall Christmas tree.
Claire, now a cabin lead, stood near the departure desk reviewing a manifest.
A new flight attendant beside her looked nervous.
“First holiday rotation?”
Claire asked.
“Yes.”
“You’ll survive.”
“I heard Christmas Eve passengers are difficult.”
Claire smiled.
“People are difficult every day. Christmas just gives them decorations.”
The young attendant laughed.
Outside, a Gulfstream waited.
Aircraft N814MC.
The same airplane.
Amara arrived wearing a dark wool coat this time.
No green fur.
Claire saw her immediately.
“Ms. Bennett.”
Amara smiled.
“Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.”
“You flying this leg?”
“Yes.”
“Who’s captain?”
“Dana.”
“Good.”
Claire glanced at Amara’s coat.
“No dramatic outfit this year?”
Amara laughed.
“My mother said the green one makes me look like an expensive Christmas tree.”
Claire smiled.
“I liked it.”
“So did I.”
They boarded.
Amara took seat 2A.
The same seat.
She set her handbag beside her.
Claire walked through the cabin completing final checks.
Then a man boarded wearing jeans, work boots, and a faded jacket.
He looked around uncertainly.
The new flight attendant intercepted him.
“Sir, may I help you?”
“Yes. I think I’m on the right plane.”
She checked the manifest.
“Name?”
He gave it.
Her expression changed slightly.
Not negatively.
Just surprised.
Claire watched from the galley.
The man was a maintenance technician being repositioned to Chicago after repairing another company aircraft.
His assigned seat was 1C.
Forward cabin.
The new attendant glanced toward the seat.
Then toward Amara.
She hesitated.
Claire saw it.
Amara saw it too.
The attendant walked over to Claire.
Quietly, she asked, “Should we move the employee to the rear?”
Claire looked at her.
“Why?”
“Well, he’s staff.”
“So?”
The young woman looked embarrassed.
“I thought forward was for—”
Claire smiled.
“For the person assigned there.”
The attendant nodded slowly.
“Right.”
Claire looked toward Amara.
Amara was pretending not to listen.
Claire returned to the attendant.
“There’s one rule you should remember.”
“What?”
“You never need to know how important somebody is before deciding how to treat them.”
The young woman nodded.
Then she escorted the technician to seat 1C.
He sat down.