“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome,” he replied. “I’m Noah.” “Emily.”

He didn’t flirt. He didn’t dig into her life. He simply helped her stow the stroller, picked up one of Lily’s toys when she dropped it, and even made the baby laugh by pulling silly faces with a napkin. For the first time in weeks, Emily breathed deeply without feeling guilty for it.

The flight was full—executives, tourists, families, students. But as the minutes passed, Emily noticed something strange. Several passengers kept looking at Noah.

A young man across the aisle lifted his phone as if he were filming the view outside the window. Two young women whispered to each other, then both turned to stare at him.

Noah kept smiling, but his jaw tightened. The softness drained from his face. Then he leaned slightly toward Emily. “Can I ask you a very strange favor?” She immediately grew cautious. “What kind of favor?”

Noah glanced down the aisle, then toward the young man’s phone. “Could you pretend you fell asleep on my shoulder?” Emily almost laughed. “I’m sorry… what?”

“I know how weird that sounds,” he said quietly, “but those people are trying to record me. If we look like an exhausted family, maybe they’ll lose interest.”