I laughed softly. I told her that life didn't always reward people according to what they had done. Sometimes you simply did the right thing and kept moving.
She looked out the window. Then she told me something I hadn't expected. Her father had served in the military, too. He had died when she was young. After his death, her mother had worked three jobs to keep Marlowe in school. Marlowe had spent her entire life believing that success was the only way to repay her mother's sacrifice. She had built a company, made millions, and become one of the most powerful women in the country. Yet she admitted that she couldn't remember the last time she had simply sat with her mother without checking her phone.
I told her that sometimes people spend years chasing the things they think will prove they love their family, only to discover that their family wanted their time more than their money.
She didn't respond, but her eyes became wet.
A few hours later, the plane began its descent. Then Marlowe received an urgent message. Her assistant had discovered that her mother had been hospitalized unexpectedly.
Marlowe froze. The confidence disappeared from her face. She immediately tried calling, but there was no answer. I watched her struggle with the fear of losing the person who had given her everything.
I told her to call the hospital directly. She did. The news wasn't good, but her mother was alive.
The flight landed in Seattle. Passengers began gathering their belongings. Marlowe stood quickly and started toward the exit. Then she stopped. She turned around and looked at me.
She asked where I was going. I told her I was heading to my sister's house to see Milo. She asked if I needed a ride. I smiled and said I could manage. She insisted.
Outside the terminal, her driver was waiting with a black luxury SUV. Marlowe told the driver to take me to my sister's house first. I tried to refuse again, but she told me that after what I had done for her on the plane, allowing her to help me was the least she could do.