I wanted to walk to the front of the plane and demand that Tyler explain himself.
Instead, I sat there because the plane had begun pushing back from the gate and my son needed me to be calm.
The flight lasted less than two hours.
It felt like 10 hours.
Mason barely touched his gummy bears.
His drawing stayed folded in his backpack.
When we landed, we waited until most passengers had left.
I had no idea what I was going to say to Tyler.
I only knew I was not leaving the airport without looking him in the face.
We entered the terminal.
Then I saw him.
Tyler stood near the entrance to an airline lounge, and beside him was Laila.
She looked very different from the woman who had cried on my porch.
Her hair was perfect.
Her clothes looked expensive.
And there was no hiding her pregnancy.
One hand rested over her stomach.
She was smiling at Tyler, and then she saw me and Mason approaching them.
Her smile changed while Tyler followed her stare.
The color drained from his face.
His eyes moved from me to Mason.
"Megan?"
That was the first thing he said when we stood in front of him.
Mason started crying again.
"Dad, what's going on?"
Tyler stepped forward. "What are you doing on this flight?"
I almost laughed. "We came to surprise you."
He closed his eyes.
Laila didn't look embarrassed.
If anything, she looked relieved.
I pointed at her.
"Isn't this the same Laila who came to my house crying six months ago?"
Tyler glanced around. "Can we not do this here?"
"You said she was your coworker."
"Megan, this is not the place for this discussion."
"No. You just announced to an airplane full of strangers that she is carrying your child and you're planning to marry her. You can answer me in public."
Laila folded her arms. "At least she knows now."
I looked at her. "What?"
She met my eyes.
"I said, at least you know."
There was no trace of the crying woman from my porch.
I stepped toward her.
Tyler moved between us. "You need to leave."
I stared at him. "Move, Tyler."
"Megan, Mason is right there. Think of him before causing a scene."
I laughed bitterly. "Now you're worried about what Mason sees?"
His face tightened.
Mason was clutching my hand.
Tyler looked down at him. "Buddy, I can explain. Just not now."
Mason hid behind me. That broke something in Tyler's expression.
I wanted him to feel shame for at least a fraction of what he'd done.
I asked, "How long has this been going on?"
Tyler looked at Laila.
Then back at me.
"Almost a year."
I felt dizzy.
"When were you going to tell me?"
He rubbed his forehead. "I was trying to find the right time."
"The right time to tell your wife you got another woman pregnant?"
"No, the right time to hand you the papers."
For a second, I genuinely didn't understand him. "Papers?"
"The divorce papers."
Mason was crying behind me.
Tyler's face changed. He looked like he'd forgotten our son could hear.
