PART 2
Saturday morning began perfectly without a single problem in sight. Christopher kissed my cheek while the sun was still far below the horizon.
“I should be home before Toby goes to sleep tonight,” Christopher whispered as he picked up his captain’s hat.
“Have a smooth flight, honey,” I replied with a tight smile, trying not to give away my excitement.
He bent down to hug our son. “Be a good boy for your mother today, Toby.”
Toby almost ruined our plan by grinning so widely that Christopher gave him a brief, suspicious look. After Christopher drove out of the driveway, we waited forty minutes before driving toward John Glenn Columbus International Airport. Toby wore a dark baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, behaving like a secret agent on a high-stakes mission.
Everything was going smoothly until we reached the central concourse near the main shops. Toby suddenly grabbed my wrist with both hands and gasped loudly.
“Mom, look! It’s Dad!” Toby whispered in panic.
Christopher was walking less than twenty yards away in his pristine uniform, laughing alongside another crew member. I quickly pulled Toby inside a busy bookstore and crouched behind a tall rack of colorful travel pillows until they passed. Toby was giggling so hard behind his small hands that his shoulders shook up and down uncontrollably.
“This is the best secret mission ever,” Toby giggled once the hallway was clear.
“It will only stay a secret if you stop almost getting us caught,” I teased him gently.
When Christopher finally disappeared through the crew door, we walked directly toward our assigned departure gate. I remember feeling completely peaceful and happy during those quiet moments. That memory feels agonizing to look back on now, because less than an hour later, the life I had carefully built was gone.