Brandon laughed again and gave him a quick hug. “Maybe one day they will, little guy.”
That long awaited day finally seemed within reach when Brandon casually mentioned over breakfast that he had been assigned a brief Saturday morning route to Minneapolis and expected to be home well before dinner.
“I will be back so fast you won’t even notice I left,” Brandon told us as he set his coffee mug on the counter.
That was the exact moment a wild idea flashed into my mind. Normally, I was terrible at keeping secrets from my husband because Brandon could always tell when I was hiding something just by looking at my face.
“What are you smiling about?” Brandon asked, catching me staring at him.
“Nothing at all,” I lied quickly, turning toward the sink to wash a dish. “Just thinking about our plans for the weekend.”
Against all odds, I managed to stay quiet this time. I used my laptop to purchase two tickets for his exact flight, reserving one for myself and one for Toby without giving Brandon the slightest hint. My plan was simple: we would board like ordinary passengers, take seats near the back of the aircraft, and remain hidden until after landing. Once everyone got off, Toby could surprise his father at the arrival gate.
