A wealthy businessman judges a mother-of-three and complains about her flying business class, but when the pilot makes a special announcement for the woman upon arrival, all his complaints fade away.
“Oh, come on! You’ve got to be kidding! Are you really letting her sit here?! Miss, you need to fix this!” Tom Harris grumbled as he saw a mother-of-three heading toward the seats next to him with a flight attendant’s help.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the flight attendant replied calmly, showing him the tickets. “These seats are assigned to Mrs. Jane Miller and her children, and we can’t change that. I’d ask you to please cooperate.”
“You don’t get it, Miss! I have a big meeting with overseas clients. Her kids will keep talking and making noise, and I can’t risk messing up this deal!”
“Sir…” The flight attendant began, but Jane cut in. “It’s okay. I can move somewhere else if other passengers are willing to switch seats with my children and me. It’s not a problem.”
“No way, ma’am!” the flight attendant replied firmly. “You’re sitting here because you paid for it, and you have every right to be here! It doesn’t matter if someone’s unhappy, and sir,” she turned to Tom, “I’d appreciate it if you could stay patient until the flight ends.”
Wealthy businessman Tom Harris was annoyed that the flight attendant ignored his request, but what bothered him even more was sitting next to a woman who didn’t seem to fit in business class, dressed in the plainest clothes on the flight.
He popped in his earbuds to avoid talking to her and looked away as she sat down, after helping her children settle safely in their seats.
Soon, boarding finished, passengers took their seats, and the flight took off. It was the first time Jane and her children were in business class, so as the plane lifted off, the kids cheered happily. “Mom!” shouted her daughter Emma. “Look, we’re flying! Woo-hoo!”
Some passengers turned to smile at Emma’s excitement, but Tom had a sour look on his face. “Hey,” he said, turning to Jane. “Can you please tell your kids to quiet down? I missed my last flight, so I’m doing a meeting from here. I don’t want any interruptions.”
“I’m sorry,” Jane replied politely, signaling her children to hush. Tom’s meeting took up most of the flight, and as he talked, Jane noticed he was in the clothing business, seeing him mention fabrics often and flip through a notebook of designs.
When Tom’s meeting ended, Jane spoke up. “Can I ask you something?”
Tom wasn’t eager to chat, but since his meeting went well and the clients agreed to the deal, he was in a good mood and softened up. “Uh… sure, go ahead.”
“I saw your notebook with fabric samples and designs. Do you work in the clothing business?”
“Yeah, you could say that. I own a clothing company in New York. We just sealed a deal. I wasn’t sure it’d happen, but it did.”
“That’s awesome. Congrats! I actually run a small shop in Texas. It’s a family business started by my in-laws in New York. We just opened a new store in Texas. I really liked the designs you showed.”
Tom let out a mocking chuckle. “Thanks, lady! But our designs aren’t like some small family shop. We hire top designers, and we just signed with the best design company in the world! A LITTLE SHOP, REALLY?” He said it loud enough to tease Jane.
“Oh, okay,” Jane felt embarrassed but kept her cool. “I get it. It must be a big deal for you.”
“A big deal?” Tom smirked, shaking his head. “Someone like you wouldn’t get it, but it was a million-dollar deal! Let me say this again,” he paused for a moment. “I saw your tickets and all, and yeah, you’re in business class, but honestly, you don’t look like you belong here! Maybe stick to economy next time and find folks who run shops like you.”
Jane’s patience was running low now. “Look, sir,” she said firmly. “I get it; it’s my first time in business class, and I struggled with check-in and all, but aren’t you going too far? My husband’s on this flight with us, but…”
Before Jane could finish, an announcement came over the intercom, signaling their arrival at JFK. But instead of stopping, the pilot, Captain David Miller, had more to say.
“I’d also like to thank every passenger on this flight, especially my wife Jane Miller, who’s with us today. Jane, honey, your support means the world to me.”
Tom’s heart sank, and his face turned red with embarrassment when he realized Jane’s husband was the pilot.
“This is my first time flying an A-class flight, and I was nervous. Thank you to my wife, who told me it’d be okay and came along despite her fear of flying to ease my mind. Today’s my first day back at work after being out of a job for a long time. My wife and I have had tough times, but I’ve never heard Jane complain. So, on this day, which is also when we first met—something I think my wife forgot—I’d like to propose to her again on this flight. JANE, I LOVE YOU, HONEY!”
David broke the rules and stepped out of the cockpit, kneeling with a ring. “Will you spend the rest of your life with me again, Mrs. Jane Miller?”
Everyone on the plane turned to Jane and her children, who looked like the sweetest family ever. As Jane nodded yes, eyes teary, the passengers clapped, but Tom stood there, shocked and ashamed. Jane wasn’t done, though. Before leaving the plane, she approached Tom and said, “A man like you, who only cares about money, will never understand what it’s like to have loved ones by your side. Yes, my husband and I live a simple life, but we’re proud of it!”
