Then turbulence hit. The aircraft suddenly dropped several feet. A few passengers gasped. Marlowe's hand tightened around the armrest. I noticed immediately: she was afraid of flying.
I didn't mention it. I simply placed my hand on the armrest between us, keeping my movements calm, and told her that the turbulence would pass. She looked at me with surprise. For the first time, the CEO of Sterling Dynamics didn't look like a billionaire; she looked like a frightened woman trying not to let anyone notice.
The turbulence lasted several minutes before the plane steadied. She thanked me quietly. I smiled and told her it was nothing.
Then the captain's voice came through the speakers. That was when everything changed.
"Good afternoon, everyone. This is Captain Rowan Mercer speaking. We're honored to have Mr. Callan Brooks with us today. Welcome home, Callan."
Marlowe slowly turned toward me. She asked if I knew the captain. I told her yes. Her expression changed; she wanted to know how.
I hesitated because I didn't like talking about the past, but the captain had already said my name. There was no hiding it anymore. I explained that Rowan had once been my commanding officer. Marlowe stared at me. I told her I had served in the military years earlier before leaving to raise my son after his mother became seriously ill. I didn't call myself a hero. I didn't even like remembering most of that chapter of my life. I had simply done what needed to be done.
Marlowe looked at me differently after that. But what she didn't know was why Captain Mercer had welcomed me home.
Three years earlier, during an overseas humanitarian evacuation, our convoy had been attacked. Rowan had been injured and trapped inside a damaged vehicle. I had gone back for him. I had carried him through smoke and debris while explosions shook the ground around us. He survived. I never talked about it, but Rowan remembered. He had never forgotten the man who had refused to leave him behind.
The cabin returned to normal, but Marlowe remained quiet. Eventually, she asked why someone like me was sitting in economy after doing something like that.