Chapter 3: Space and Reflection

On the plane, I turned off my phone. Two hours later, after landing, I turned it back on and received two messages.

Allen: Don’t be hard on yourself while you’re away.

Susan: That Leon kid is way out of line. I gave him a piece of my mind. Boys his age are like that; they grow out of it. I know being a stepmom is tough. If he gives you trouble later, just tell me, and I’ll talk to them.

I smiled slightly and replied to Susan: Susan, you’re so kind-hearted. My background is similar to his, so I understand him. I’m not the type to get mad at kids easily. This business trip really was scheduled beforehand.

Susan didn’t reply; she kept regular hours and was probably already asleep.

I then opened Allen’s chat, noticing he had transferred $5,000 to me. $5,000 was a considerable amount. He had only divorced his ex-wife three months prior, and before the divorce, his salary was controlled by her, so he hadn’t gotten any of it back. When we were set up, aside from the house he lived in, he was practically broke. Marrying me, he had already given me a sum of money as a sign of good faith. This $5,000 was probably scraped together from who knows where.

I accepted the money and, returning the kindness, replied: Got it. Will bring you both gifts when I’m back.

He responded with a simple Okay, plus a smiley face.