Chapter 10 - The Destination We ChoseSix months later.
Private Jet Flight 701, cruising at thirty-five thousand feet above the Pacific Ocean, heading toward Los Angeles.
The cabin was bathed in the soft, warm glow of sunset. There were no crying babies. No impatient passengers. No judgmental family members whispering behind our backs.
I sat comfortably in a plush leather reclining seat, wearing a gorgeous cashmere sweater, sipping sparkling water. In the seat beside me, Julian was gently holding a giggling, one-year-old Sofi in his lap, trying to teach her how to play peek-a-boo with a silk handkerchief.
Sofi shrieked with absolute delight, grabbing Julian’s expensive tie and pulling it playfully.
Julian laughed—a deep, booming, genuine sound that filled the private cabin with warmth—and surrendered completely, letting her tangle her tiny fingers in his silk tie.
I watched them, a profound sense of peace washing over my soul.
The diner in East Los Angeles was a distant memory now—though we still owned it, turning it into a community foundation providing free meals for struggling single parents. My mother had tried calling twice to apologize and ask for financial support, but I had calmly blocked her number, realizing some doors had to stay closed so better ones could open.
Julian looked up from playing with Sofi, catching my eye. He smiled, reached across the armrest, and interlaced his fingers tightly with mine.
"Penny for your thoughts, Mrs. Vance?" he asked softly, using the title we had made official in a quiet, beautiful ceremony on the coast of California just a month prior.
I squeezed his hand back, leaning my head comfortably against his broad, solid shoulder—right where it belonged.
May you like
"I was just thinking," I murmured, closing my eyes with a smile, "that sometimes falling asleep in the wrong seat on a plane... leads you exactly where you were always meant to be."
Julian kissed the top of my head, wrapping his strong arm securely around both me and our daughter as we flew smoothly into our forever.
