A few minutes into the trip, a pleasant-looking flight attendant called Bethany approached me with a tray of beverages. “Can I get you something to drink?” she said, smiling. “Just orange juice, please,” I said, lifting my hand to take the glass. As I did so, Bethany saw the birthmark on my wrist. “I’m sorry, could I have your passport, please?” she inquired abruptly. That was peculiar, I thought. Confused but unwilling to dispute, I handed it up. Bethany examined it carefully before returning it with a nod. “It’s just a basic protocol check. “Thank you!”

That sounds nice. Bethany eventually returned to my seat. “Excuse me, will you be in a rush after we land?” questioned the woman. “Yeah, I’ve got a connecting flight to catch, and I’m already running late,” I said, reflexively clasping my hands. “Well, the pilot wants to speak with you after we land.” “The pilot?” I inquired. “Why? “Can’t he just talk to me now?” “I’m afraid not,” Bethany said, her tone serious. “He wants to speak with you in person. I understand you’re in a rush, but believe me, you’ll want to hear this.” You’ll be sorry if you don’t.”

What on earth does the pilot need to tell me? And why did it have to wait until after we arrived? My major meeting hung in the balance, and I didn’t want to miss it. But Bethany’s tenacity made me feel as if this was crucial. As the jet landed down and the other passengers began to disembark, I braced myself and calmly waited for the captain to approach. When the cabin was finally empty, a tall guy with graying hair entered. His gaze immediately fixed on mine. At that time, I dropped my purse and jacket. My mouth almost dropped to the floor because I thought I recognized this man. I knew him quickly from old images my mother had shown me. This was Steve, a boyhood buddy. But the man did not seem pleased to see me. In fact, tears streamed down his cheeks as he hugged me tightly. I stood there, dumbfounded, as he cried into my shoulder. “What’s going on?” I asked in a trembling voice. “What happened?” He backed away, his eyes red-rimmed. Then he softly grabbed my hand and showed me a birthmark on his wrist. It was an identical match for the one on mine. “Courtney,” he choked out. “I’m your father.” “Wait, what?” I glanced at him with wide eyes. “My father?” But Mom said… “Why did Mom lie to me? I thought. Why did she never inform me that Steve was my father?

“I don’t know what Melissa told you, Courtney, but this is the truth,” Steve said. “She suddenly disappeared from my life when I was about to attend aviation school.” She didn’t inform me she was pregnant… I… I met you through a friend, although that was several years after your birth.” At that time, all I wanted was to confront Mom. I wanted to know why she left Steve. I wanted to know why she kept everything from me. I instantly took out my phone and called her. “Mom, why didn’t you ever tell me about Steve?” I demanded as soon as she responded. I put her on speakerphone so Steve could hear. “Why did you withhold this information from me?” I asked Steve. “What do you mean, sweetie?” she said, still attempting to conceal the facts from me. “Mom, please stop!” I rolled my eyes. “I recently met Steve on a flight.” He is here with me. Now, please tell me everything. I need answers. “He needs answers!” After a few seconds of stillness, Mom spoke. Her voice was full of emotion as she began to explain. “Oh, Courtney, I’m so sorry,” she said, crying.

“When we were young, Steve wanted to go to aviation school and become a pilot. I became pregnant with you, and I knew that if he found out, he would abandon his aspirations to be with us. “I couldn’t let him do that,” she added after a pause. So I departed without informing him. I thought that was right at the time, but now I see how much it hurt us all.” Steve’s face crumbled while he listened. “Melissa,” he gasped out. “I loved you so much.” I would have done everything for you and our child. “Why didn’t you trust me?” “Steve? Oh my…” Mom gasped. “I thought I was protecting you.” I was afraid. I apologize, Steve. “I’m so sorry.” I felt as if my head was spinning. My mother had lied to me for years about my father’s fate, and now here he was, a stranger, spilling his heart out to both of us. I couldn’t handle it all. “This is a lot to take in, Mom,” I stuttered. “I am already late for the major meeting with the investors… I’m not sure how I’ll get to LA now.” Steve’s eyes widened when I mentioned the investors. “Are you heading to LA? “What is the meeting about?” I promptly conveyed the information to Steve. I told him that I needed to complete a large project to secure a significant promotion at work. As I told him everything about the firm and its investors, I noticed his countenance change. “Well then, we can’t let you miss that meeting,” he said, “because I know those investors very well, Courtney.” “What? “How?” I questioned. “I used to fly their private jet a few years ago, and they were very kind to me,” Steve stated as he slipped out his phone. “Let me make a few calls, and I’ll get you in front of them today.” True to his promise, he jumped into action, making a series of discreet phone calls. He led me into a fancy conference room within an hour. I could not believe it. The nicest thing was that the meeting went better than I expected.

The investors were impressed and decided to support my enterprise proposal. Aside from that, I received a call from my supervisor, who offered me the promotion I had hoped for. I was really happy! As I came out of the room, I noticed Steve waiting for me with extended arms. “You did it!” he said, squeezing me into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you, Courtney.” As I hugged him back, I had a knot in my throat. This man, whom I had never met, was suddenly an important part of my life, and it felt natural. All those years of feeling like something was missing had brought me to this point, and I couldn’t help but wonder what more the future held in store. The next week, Steve came to our house to meet Mom. It was an emotional reunion, full of tears, laughter, and a long-lost sense of completeness. That day, I realized what it was like to have an entire family. As I lay in bed that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the amazing turn of events. Who would have thought that a simple trip to Los Angeles would lead to the discovery of my long-lost father? It was the type of plot surprise that only happens in movies. But I was there, experiencing it. While it was overwhelming, I couldn’t help but feel grateful and excited about what the future could bring.