A strange noise from the restroom during a cross-country flight sends flight attendant Leslie into a panic. She has no idea that the child inside will turn her life upside down for forever.
Leslie massaged her forehead with one hand as she made her way toward the plane. Her pounding headache was a harsh reminder of the wild night she had spent partying at one of Atlanta’s trendiest nightclubs.
“Amy!” Leslie exclaimed when she spotted her fellow flight attendant. “Please tell me you’ve got some headache pills?
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Amy shot Leslie a look and rolled her eyes. “Of course I have some, but you really should know better than partying the night before a cross-country flight.”
“What else am I supposed to do—go to museums?” Leslie sighed. “At least partying helps me forget everything for a while.”
Amy gave her a friendly nudge, and they both made their way onto the plane together.
“One day, everything will fall into place for you, Leslie,” Amy said. “Just trust the process.”
Leslie and Amy quickly got to work, assisting passengers as they boarded, conducting the safety demonstration, and making sure everyone was settled in. Once the plane was ready, Leslie quietly slipped to the galley and took her headache medication.
“I wonder if Amy would mind if I lay down in the rest quarters for a bit,” Leslie mused. She was about to approach her colleague when a strange sound caused her to freeze in place.
Leslie halted, straining to listen. After a few moments, she decided it was nothing. Maybe Amy was right about her partying too much. Leslie had already planned to hit a few clubs when they landed in L.A., but perhaps she’d take it easy this time and skip some of them.
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As Leslie walked past the bathroom door, she once again heard a piercing, high-pitched mewling noise. There was no chance a cat could be aboard the plane, so it must have been a child crying.
She knocked on the bathroom door. After receiving no answer, she slowly opened the door and looked inside. Just a moment later, she let out a horrified scream.
It took a moment for Leslie to process, but she quickly realized the trembling figure that had scared her was just a young boy. He had been crying and gazed up at her with watery eyes.
“Don’t do that!” Leslie exclaimed to the startled child, still catching her breath from the surprise.
The boy curled up tighter, hugging his knees, and began to cry once more. Now that the initial shock had passed, Leslie felt a surge of sympathy for him. She knelt down in front of him.
“I’m sorry for shouting,” Leslie said softly. “You scared me. I’m Leslie. What’s your name?”
The boy sniffled, wiping his eyes. “My name’s Ben.
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Leslie gently helped the boy to his feet and guided him to one of the crew jump seats. While he sat, she quickly skimmed through the passenger list, hoping to find his name. It seemed like it might be his first time flying, and he clearly wasn’t enjoying it.
Leslie’s brow furrowed as she checked the list again, but still, the boy’s name was nowhere to be found.
It had been a long time since Leslie had comforted a child, and the feeling stirred a deep sense of yearning for her own home. But now was not the time to dwell on that. She sat down next to Ben, offering a reassuring touch on his arm.
“Ben, sweetheart, are you lost? I can help you if you just tell me where your family is,” Leslie asked gently.
Ben let out a heart-wrenching sob. Leslie noticed that he was clutching a paper bag tightly against his chest. The sight made her uneasy, reminding her of all the unsettling stories she had heard about items brought onto flights.
Leslie’s heart sank. “What’s in the bag, Ben?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
“It’s Granny’s medicine,” the boy responded, his voice trembling. “She’s going to die without it, and it’ll be all my fault!
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Over the next few hours, Leslie gently got the full story from Ben. He was the youngest of many siblings, with his older brothers always busy with sports and getting into trouble. Meanwhile, Ben’s dreams were different—he longed to become a scientist.
His mom hadn’t fully grasped the explosive consequences of Ben’s efforts to find a cure for every illness. He had wanted so much to make her proud and receive a hug, but instead, she had told him to sit in the corner.
Ben cried uncontrollably. “That’s why I took Granny’s medicine,” he admitted, choking on his tears.
When Ben’s grandmother became sick, his family planned a trip to Seattle to deliver her medicine. At the airport, Ben had gotten lost from the rest of his family. Eventually, he thought he had found his mom again and followed her onto the plane.
“But it wasn’t my mom!” Ben sobbed. “Now I’m on the wrong plane. I wanted to be the hero who brought Granny her medicine, but now I’m the villain. She’s going to die because of me.
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When the plane landed in Los Angeles, Leslie immediately contacted the proper authorities. She felt awful for Ben, but was eager to move past the situation. So when she learned about the arrangements the airline had made for him, Leslie was stunned.
She looked at the boy she was now responsible for, sharing her hotel room with him. This wasn’t right. She had plans—lists of clubs to visit in L.A—but now, instead, she was stuck playing the role of babysitter.
Several times, Leslie had texted Amy and her colleague Brandon, but neither of them was willing to take over watching Ben for her. She even thought about hiring a local babysitter, but quickly realized she couldn’t afford it. She needed to save every penny she could to send back home.
The two sat in silence, eating the pizza Leslie had ordered for dinner when her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up, and her heart sank as soon as she heard the voice on the other end.
“My baby is sick?” Leslie asked, her voice trembling. “What happened, Mom? Joe was doing fine the last time we talked. Have you taken him to a doctor?
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“Yes,” Leslie’s mom responded quietly.
“Whatever it takes, as long as my Joe gets better,” Leslie said, her voice filled with determination.
After hanging up, Leslie collapsed into a ball and sobbed. She longed with all her heart to hold her son, to breathe in the scent of his soft, curly hair, and to reassure him that everything would be alright.
Sadly, Joe was far out of her reach. Her flight schedule had kept her away from home for over a month. No matter how hard she tried to drown out her longing for her son with partying and drinking, nothing could ease the pain in her heart.
“Miss Leslie?” Ben quietly approached and gently placed his hand on her arm. “I think you should have these for your Joe.
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Leslie felt another wave of emotion rising as she gazed at the bag of medicine Ben was offering her.
“If I can’t save my granny, at least I can help you,” Ben said, his voice full of sincerity. “Take them for Joe so he can be healthy again.
“I have a better idea,” Leslie said, her fingers quickly tapping on her phone. “I’m going to get you to your granny in Seattle, Ben. Afterward, I’ll head home to Missoula to see my son.”
Without hesitation, Leslie booked a plane ticket for Ben, covering the cost herself. She then arranged for time off and organized her own flight, planning to accompany Ben to Seattle before continuing on to her own destination.
“I’m scared,” Ben admitted as he and Leslie boarded their flight. “What if Granny’s already gone because of what I did? Mom will never love me then.
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Leslie gently ruffled the boy’s hair, offering him a small, comforting smile.
Ben seemed unconvinced by Leslie’s reassurance, even as his entire family rushed toward him when they landed in Seattle. Leslie watched as Ben’s mom enveloped him in a tight hug, showering him with kisses and promising never to ignore him again.
Unfortunately, Leslie’s reunion with her family wasn’t as joyful. She was taken aback by how pale and frail Joe had become since she last saw him. He felt so delicate in her arms.
That night, Leslie stayed up late, talking with her mom and reviewing all the tests the doctors had run on Joe. She felt overwhelmed, powerless, and consumed by guilt.
When she finally went to bed, Leslie quietly slipped into Joe’s room and nestled beside him. She buried her face in his soft, coconut-scented hair, silently promising him, herself, and God that she would do whatever it took to make her son healthy and happy again.
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As the days passed, Joe’s condition showed no signs of improving. The specialist was unable to determine what was causing his illness. Meanwhile, Joe seemed to grow weaker with each passing day.
Leslie requested additional leave, hoping for some understanding from the airline, but they weren’t sympathetic. They refused to compensate her for the time off, despite Joe’s illness.
After another week of caring for Joe and covering doctor’s visits, money was becoming a concern. Leslie’s mom, living on a pension, had always depended on Leslie to help cover Joe’s needs while she took care of him. Now, both women were faced with the tough task of figuring out their next steps.
“Maybe I can find a job here,” Leslie suggested. “Something that pays better.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Leslie’s mom shrugged. “If it comes to that, I can always sell the house.
Just then, a knock at the door echoed through the house, and everything changed.
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Leslie opened the door, surprised to see a familiar face staring back at her.
“Ben?” she exclaimed, then noticed the family she had recognized from the airport standing behind him. “What’s going on?”
“I have something for you and Joe,” Ben said, handing her an envelope.
Leslie opened it, her fingers trembling as she pulled out a check. When she saw the amount, her eyes widened in shock.
“What is this? I can’t accept this,” she stammered.
“We want you to have it,” Ben’s mom said, stepping closer. “We launched a crowdfunding campaign to help with my mom’s treatment, but she…” She paused, covering her mouth with her hand. “She passed away a few days ago.
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Ben’s father stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his wife as she began to cry.
“We agreed that this money should go to you, for Joe,” Ben explained.
“We also made an announcement on the crowdfunding campaign,” Ben’s dad added, “so everything is transparent.”
Leslie clutched the check tightly to her chest, tears filling her eyes. “I can’t thank you enough,” she whispered through sobs. “This is the most incredible gift I’ve ever received. I just hope it’s enough.”
Ben threw his arms around Leslie’s legs. “It will be enough, I know it will! And when Joe is all better, I’ll come back to play with him.”
Leslie smiled warmly, running her fingers through Ben’s hair. “You’ll always be welcome here, Ben. Anytime.”
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The check covered nearly every expense Leslie had, and after endless visits to doctors and ongoing treatments, Joe was back to his energetic self a month later.
Watching him run and play with the neighbor’s dog on the front lawn, Leslie couldn’t help but smile. It was hard to remember a time when Joe wasn’t laughing and full of life.
“And it’s all thanks to Ben,” she whispered to herself.
The familiar hum of a plane flying overhead caught Leslie’s attention, drawing her gaze to the sky. She knew her return to work was just around the corner. But an idea had already blossomed in her mind—a perfect way to show her gratitude to Ben’s family for their kindness.
She grabbed her phone and began dialing. The next day, she called Ben’s mom to share the news: the airline had offered her family a lifetime discount on all flights.