“Heading out,” I replied with a smile that felt different from any I’d worn in the past few lonely weeks. “On an adventure, actually.”His eyes twinkled with curiosity. “Well, isn’t that the best way to spend Christmas?” He extended his hand. “I’m Robert.”“Linda,” I said, shaking his hand, feeling a surprising sense of camaraderie.
As the plane took off, the initial nervousness I felt about my impulsive decision began to dissolve into excitement. Robert and I chatted about our lives, our families, and our reasons for travel. He was a recent widower like me, with grown children who were too busy to spend the holidays with him. He had also decided it was time to do something for himself, rather than waiting for an invitation that never came.
