Chapter 19 - The Empty TerminalDown at JFK International Airport, amidst the roar of jet engines and the rush of travelers heading toward tropical getaways, Ethan Cole sat alone on a hard plastic bench near the departure gates.
He held a crumpled coach ticket to a mid-tier regional conference in Ohio—the only job interview he had managed to secure all month.
He looked around the terminal, watching couples laughing, families loading luggage carts, and business travelers walking briskly toward first-class boarding lanes.
He finally understood what Clare had known on the day her honeymoon ticket was stolen:
You can try to manipulate the itinerary of your life, but if you don't build your journey on honesty, loyalty, and genuine respect, you will always end up stranded at the terminal, watching everyone else fly away without you.
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An automated announcement chimed overhead: Boarding call for Flight 404 to Cleveland.
Ethan stood up slowly, hoisted his worn-out canvas duffel bag over his shoulder, and walked down the jet bridge into the gray, uncertain distance.
