I tucked our drinks and food into my bag and we headed into the washroom. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of urinals, but we made it through everything and arrived at our gate in time for our flight to be called. Our section was called first, and so I encouraged Andre toward the gate.
His steps slowed as we approached.
For the first time, I dared to touch him. A gentle hand under his elbow to encourage him. Normally, I’d never do this—but extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures and all that…
He leaned into the touch and sighed quietly as he handed over his passport and boarding pass. After he was waved through, though, he only took one step, then turned and waited for me.
I passed this final check quickly, and we headed down the gangplank.
He extended his hand.
I grasped it. Only then did I realize I was wearing my rainbow bracelet. I worked off the assumption he’d noticed it—although maybe he just wanted reassurance, and I was the person who offered it.
“Welcome aboard WestJet.” A lovely dark-skinned woman with the widest smile I’d ever seen greeted us. She checked our boarding passes. “Oh, seats 1C and 1D. Lots of legroom and Liliana will be happy to assist you.”
“Lovely,” I offered my most congenial smile as I guided Andre to our seats. “Window or aisle?” We stood before the seats—out of the way of boarding passengers—as I waited patiently for his response.
Eventually, at length, he pointed to the window seat.
I grinned. “Good choice. Wait until you see the lakes, the prairies, and the Rocky Mountains.”
His eyes went wide again. Such a lovely shade of dark-brown.
I encouraged him to sit while I retrieved our pop and snacks. We’d be well cared for in business class, but I liked to have something handy so I didn’t have to bother the flight attendants.
Andre sat as I stowed my laptop case in the overhead bin. I’d intended to try to get some extra work done, but watching over Andre was far more important. I couldn’t explain why I felt the man was now my responsibility—but he was.
I was truly surprised when the seat belt flummoxed him. I showed him how mine worked, and he was able to replicate it. At moments like these, I wondered about his exposure to experiences beyond the very straightforward. This just made me want to ask more questions. Still, one kept pressing to the front of my mind. I leaned over—not too much into his space, but so we wouldn’t be overheard. “I love yourpin.”
He met my gaze. After a moment, he swallowed. Several moments after that, he shifted. “It’s special.”
“Definitely. Does it mean something?”
His eyes went wide.
“You don’t have to—”
“Pup.” He swallowed again, and his leg jiggled. “I’m a pup. That sounds stupid—”
I gently laid my hand on his jiggling knee. “That was brave of you to say. And I’m not going to judge. I—” I blinked. Then pasted on a smile. “I used to be a handler.”
“WestJet flight 73 to Abbotsford is preparing for takeoff. If this isn’t your flight, better let us know.” The man’s words over the speaker elicited some chuckles from several passengers.
Andre grasped my hand. “I’m scared.”
“It’s all right. I’m here for you. I’ll take care of you, pup.” With anyone else, I would never have dared to use the endearment. With Andre…it felt right.
That’s a whole lot to unpack. Let’s get to Abbotsford first and then deal with the rest later.
Chapter Two
Andre
It’s all right. I’m here for you. I’ll take care of you, pup.
As the airplane backed out of the gate, and then headed toward…whatever we were embarking upon…the gentle man’s words resonated. I cleared my throat. “I can’t remember your name.” Which felt like a huge oversight on my part.
He smiled and those crow’s feet appeared by his eyes. “My name is Zahir Parnal. I told you my mutt Daphne is a rescue. Would you like to see a picture, or would you like to gaze out the window as we take off? Toronto from the air is so impressive. You get a real sense of the size of this town. I’m from little Mission City—”
