Mason squeezed my hand.
“Mom, who’s Vanessa?”
I swallowed hard.
“I’m not sure, sweetheart.”
It was the first lie I had ever told my son that I desperately wished were true.
A few passengers began applauding. Someone near the front let out an excited laugh, as though they were witnessing a romantic proposal.
Then Tyler said the words that made my stomach turn.
“Vanessa, if you’re listening, I want you to know that I’m done hiding how I feel about you. When we land, I want to begin the rest of my life with you.”
The applause grew louder.
Mason stopped smiling.
He looked at me, then down at the drawing in his lap.
“But Dad already has a family,” he whispered.
I couldn’t answer.
