Chapter 4: Seats 3A and 3B

At the airline counter at Logan, the agent looked at the screen for a long time and then at me.

"The booking is under Lindholm," she said. "The passengers are Mercer and Lund."

"The card is mine," I said. "Ending 4417. I'm the one who paid."

"Then as the cardholder you can change the names today for a fee, if the person isn't traveling."

"They're not traveling."

I put my license on the counter.

Brennan stood a step behind my left shoulder with a duffel bag and a garment bag, and he did not say anything.

My father had said on the phone that morning that he would drive to Logan himself.

I had told him I was fine, and I had told him I was flying.

He had been quiet for a long time and then said, "Good. Go and eat something."

"Who are the new passengers?" the agent said.

"Kirsten Lindholm," I said. "And Brennan Driscoll."

She typed.

Brennan put his passport down next to my license.

"There's a sixty-dollar change fee for each name," she said.

"Charge it."

"And the second ticket was Ms. Lund's. You'll need to give me her date of birth."

I knew it by heart.

I had signed her birthday card every year since seventh grade.

I said it out loud, and the agent typed it, and then she printed two new boarding passes and slid them across.

LINDHOLM/KIRSTEN.

DRISCOLL/BRENNAN.

Seats 3A and 3B.

Brennan picked up the one with his name.

"This is your honeymoon," he said quietly.

"It's my card," I said. "It's my trip."

We went through security with my phone buzzing at the bottom of my bag.

While we waited at the gate, a text came in from a number I did not know.

Kirsten, it's Darby Mercer. Todd's sister. I'm so sorry. I got your number from Mom's phone. I'm not defending him. I'm just so sorry.

I read it twice.

Darby had been the one with her hands over her face on the bluff.

Thank you, I wrote. Please don't tell him I answered.

I won't.

They called our group.

The plane was a wide, dim overnight flight, three seats on each side, mostly empty at the front.

We had the left-hand row by the window, and the middle seat beside us was empty.

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