“Awake?”
As I stirred, he opened his eyes and handed me a thermos.
“I just got some milk from the flight attendants. It’s still warm. Drink up.”
“Th-thanks.”
I was parched and took a sip. The milk was perfectly warm, so I drank it all in one go.
“Zachary.”
“Yeah?”
“Did you know I drink warm milk every day?”
“Of course. You have that little milk warmer in your office, right?”
I was genuinely moved.
After so many years on my own, Zachary was the first person who’d really paid attention to my habit of drinking warm milk.
The plane landed smoothly.
After a long, dusty journey home, I found myself feeling a bit anxious at the door.
“Don’t be afraid,” Zachary said, squeezing my hand and knocking confidently.
“Norah’s back!” my parents called out as they opened the door.
They paused for a moment when they saw Zachary, but their smiles quickly returned.
“Come on in. You must be Norah’s boyfriend,” my mom said warmly.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Light.”
Zachary greeted them with ease, looking more comfortable than I felt.
My brother and sister-in-law were also there. They greeted us with big smiles, just like my parents.