16 Chapter 16: SWAPPING SEATS: Maggie

The short journey to the airport was over too soon and I knew I had to face the sight of my sister's casket being stowed onto a plane. Noah swept past me and jumped out of the vehicle, "Wait here. Eamon will make sure you're taken care of if we can't go through together."

Staring at the back of Eamon's head while he spoke to the VIP host, I felt embarrassed again – like I was a charity case. I was used to being strong and taking care of my own needs, but I was out of my depth and it had felt excruciatingly difficult for me to rely on someone else. I waved the thought aside because getting home was all I cared about by that point.

"All right, Maggie, come on, honey," Noah softly coaxed when Eamon came back. Noah got out of the car and I glanced at the outstretched palm he offered. I hesitated for a second then reached out and accepted it. His fingers curled around mine and I drew comfort from his warm gentle touch.