he said, “Emma Wheeler?” There was nowhere near enough air in my lungs for talking, but I forced out, “That’s me.” The captain nodded and said, “Let’s get you on board.” “Thank you so much, sir. I thought for sure I was too late.” He looked up at the DEPARTED sign, and then glanced out at the waiting plane on the runway. Then he passed my scourge of a carry-on bag to a waiting gate agent, gave me a nod, and said, “They weren’t taking off without me. And I wasn’t taking off without you.”
