In a way, the moment was bittersweet. The inside of the airplane was where I first entered the world, an unexpecting, unsuspecting, unpretentious baby girl. The plane was in many ways like a parent. Nurturing, comforting, a protective shield providing a layer of security between me and the rest of the world. Okay, I’m sure that sounds a little silly, but I guess you’d have to have been born on a plane to really understand. So indulge me for a minute while I take a moment to pause and reflect. Pausing. Reflecting. Still pausing. Still reflecting. Done.

“Montana?” asked the captain, who was killing some time as he relaxed between flights, “expecting anything special from Santa this year?”

“As a matter of fact I am,” I said, smiling to myself. “Have a good holiday!”

“You too.”

Once out of his sight, I could relax and let my hair down. Tonight was going to be a candle lightin’, warm bubble bath takin’, classic soul music listenin’ evening to unwind. Thank God I didn’t have to run into anybody tonight, because they might be introduced to a Montana they had yet to meet.

Walking up the stairs headed for the airport exit, with my rolling bag in hand, I was making a beeline to the airport shuttle past gate 25, then to 24, down to 17 when I noticed a familiar hat and matching cobalt blue suit from behind, staring out into the distance, holding a dozen red roses.

It was Curtis. Curtis? What is he doing here? Oh my God, I forgot. I told him about Sheree’s engagement party. He must’ve gotten the dates confused and come here to surprise me. Oh, no, Curtis, why did you do that? Bless his heart. He has no idea that he’s been cut from the team. And look at him. Aw, I feel so bad. I liked Curtis, just not enough to deal with him or his missionaries and their impossible standards. Still, he was a decent man and I owed him the respect of at least acknowledging his effort and thanking him for at least trying.

“Curtis?” I called, walking up on him from behind.

“Montana?” I could tell from the look on his face that he was shocked and disappointed that I spotted him before he could spot me. With him standing there speechless, frozen in the moment, I took the dozen roses from his hand and began the task of delicately letting him down, but before I could, he started stuttering while pulling out a powder blue hanky to wipe the sweat from his brow.

“‘Be ye also ready, for the Lord cometh like a thief in the night.’ That’s in Ephesians. Had you been the Lord, I would’ve been burglarized. Montana, I wasn’t expecting to see you. How did you know it was me?”