From the ticket check to boarding the plane, to settling into my seat, to the cabin doors sealing shut—I documented every step.
Then I posted a nine-photo collage to my social media.
Caption: "Boarded! Bringing my boyfriend home~ ️"
The moment it went live, likes and well-wishes flooded in:
"So sweet! Wishing you two forever!"
"Wow, finally meeting the parents—congrats!"
"Safe travels! I can't wait for the wedding!"
Just to be safe, I also took a photo of Mervyn and me holding up our boarding passes together and sent it to the family group chat.
"Mom, Dad—Mervyn and I are on the plane. We'll land in three hours."
My mom replied instantly: "Finally getting to meet our future son-in-law! Your dad and I already bought groceries—just waiting for you two to come home!"
Seeing her response and the dozens of congratulatory comments on my post, I finally let out a breath.
Now no one can say I don't have a boyfriend, right?
When the plane took off, the flight attendant asked everyone to switch their phones to airplane mode, then began distributing drinks.
When she reached my row, Flight Attendant Chavez—just like in my previous life—got bumped by another passenger and accidentally spilled some orange juice on me.
"I'm so sorry, so sorry."
Cecily Chavez apologized profusely, reaching to clean the juice off my clothes.
But Mervyn beat her to it, grabbing napkins and gently dabbing at the stain.
"It's fine—I'll take care of my girlfriend."
Seeing this, Cecily smiled politely, then turned to me with an envious look.
"Your boyfriend is so thoughtful."
I stared at her, unblinking.
In my previous life, she'd said the exact same thing.
But after Mervyn vanished, when I asked if she'd seen my boyfriend, she'd looked at me with complete bewilderment:
"Miss, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"I clearly saw you board alone."
To prevent Cecily from changing her story again, I grabbed her hand and smiled with a request:
"Could I ask you for a small favor?"
Cecily looked confused. "What kind of favor?"
I pulled out my phone, my expression earnest.
"This is my first time bringing my boyfriend home to meet my parents. I want to document this trip properly—would you mind taking a photo with the two of us?"
"Just as a little memento."
Cecily nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
With that, Mervyn, Cecily, and I posed for a photo together.
I saved the picture carefully, then turned my attention to the elderly man sitting in the aisle seat nearest to us—Stuart Finch, who looked to be around seventy.
His seat was the closest to ours. In my previous life, he'd nearly fallen while trying to lift his luggage into the overhead bin, and Mervyn had caught him just in time, helping him stow it away. The old man had thanked Mervyn repeatedly.
So when I'd gone around asking passengers if they'd seen Mervyn, he was the first person I approached.
But he'd insisted that the seat beside me had been empty the entire flight. That no one had ever sat there.
To make sure he'd remember Mervyn this time, I gently tapped Mr. Finch on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir?"
He looked at me, puzzled. "Yes?"
I gestured nervously toward Mervyn in the seat beside me.
"I was wondering—what do you think of my boyfriend's appearance?"
"My parents haven't met him yet, and I'm a little nervous."
Mr. Finch studied Mervyn carefully, then nodded with approval.
"Young man's quite handsome. You two make a fine couple."
"Your parents will definitely approve."
