Maya read it once.
Her expression did not change.
The captain saw enough of the preview to understand.
Jessica did not.
Not yet.
Maya turned the phone face down again.
Captain Bennett looked as though the cabin had tilted.
“Ms. Washington…”
Maya interrupted quietly.
“Captain, before whatever happens next, I want something clear.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do not suddenly treat me properly because you recognize a name.”
The captain froze.
Maya continued.
“My boarding pass was valid before you knew who Anderson was.”
“Yes.”
“My seat was valid.”
“Yes.”
“My identification matched.”
“Yes.”
“And your employee poured food over me while I was holding an infant.”
Captain Bennett looked toward Jessica.
Jessica’s face hardened.
“It slipped.”
Maya looked at her.
“Perhaps.”
Sarah Kim nearly dropped her phone.
Even now Maya refused to claim something she could not prove.
Captain Bennett said, “I’m going to contact ground operations.”
“Please do.”
“And I want medical services to check the baby.”
Maya’s voice softened slightly.
“She wasn’t hit.”
“Still.”
“That’s fine.”
Jessica stepped forward.
“Captain, I think this is getting completely out of proportion.”
The captain turned toward her.
“No.”
One word.
Jessica stopped.
The captain continued.
“You’re relieved from cabin duty pending review.”
Her face went white.
“What?”
“Go to the forward galley.”
“You cannot be serious.”
“Now.”
Jessica looked around.
Passengers recording.
Linda Parker staring at the floor.
Maya holding her baby.
Jessica’s voice rose.
“She was the one making this difficult!”
Maya looked at her.
For the first time, emotion broke through the calm.
Not rage.
Pain.
“You spilled food on me.”
Jessica opened her mouth.
Maya continued.
“You challenged a ticket your own system confirmed.”