Our flight to Nebraska was completely booked and my daughter grew remarkably fussy almost immediately after the cabin doors closed. Despite my desperate efforts to soothe her with a warm bottle and her favorite yellow blanket her distress only increased as the jet engines grew louder. A sharply dressed woman seated across the narrow aisle began complaining loudly about the noise causing my cheeks to flush with burning embarrassment. Before I could offer another apology the gentleman occupying the window seat beside me spoke up in a commanding tone to defend us. He introduced himself as Carson Lindwood and put my racing thoughts at ease with his grounded presence. Carson spent twenty minutes amusing my daughter until a sudden shift in the cabin changed the atmosphere. Two passengers seated ahead had recognized him and were attempting to record our row with their smartphones. Carson leaned over quietly and asked if I would be comfortable pretending to fall asleep against his shoulder to make us look like an ordinary family and deter the intrusive photographers. I cautiously agreed and rested my head against his wool sweater but my sheer emotional exhaustion caught up with me and I fell into a
