“We appreciate you flying with us. “See you later.” As the final passenger disembarked, Lincy, the flight attendant, said goodbye. The flight had been uneventful and quiet, just the way she liked it.
A gentle meowing sound drew Lincy’s attention as she started to clean between the seats. Confused, she went to the rear of the cabin and found a baby in the last seat. Lincy was shocked and frightened, and her heart was pounding for the child’s welfare.
“Oh my God, his mother must be frantic!” With her thoughts rushing through the options, Lincy said to herself. She noticed a note next to the infant, so she picked it up with shaking hands and carefully unfolded it.
“If you find this message, don’t waste time trying to find me. He could never have a decent life from me. I’m hoping you’ll adopt him and treat him like your own. I’d be pleased if you gave him the name Matthew. Harris, Matthew. This is all I’m asking for. And please pardon me.
As Lincy read the sincere appeal, her breath seized in her throat. She was torn between feeling sorry for the infant who had been left behind, sympathetic to the mother’s plight, and overwhelmed by the sudden responsibility.
Feeling the delicate life in her arms, Lincy instinctively held the baby near. She was aware that she couldn’t abandon him. Lincy made a decision that would forever alter their lives: she would take the baby home after alerting airport security and making sure he was secure.
Lincy worked through the legal ramifications of adopting Matthew over the course of the next few weeks. Every move she took was filled with love and a resolve to give him the life his birth mother thought she couldn’t.
Under Lincy’s tender care, Matthew developed into a lively, intelligent youngster over the years. Despite being aware that he was adopted, he always felt safe and loved in his household. The message, a memento of the bittersweet beginning that united them, had been hidden away by Lincy.
Lincy came onto a news story about a woman named Sarah Harris who had tearfully reunited with her long-lost son, Matthew, thirteen years after that tragic flight. After sending her child on a plane in the hopes that someone would provide him with a better life, Sarah had been overcome with feelings of remorse and sadness.
Lincy contacted Sarah with tentative expectation, assuring her that Matthew was safe and loved. In a tearful reunion, Sarah gave Lincy a hug and expressed gratitude for keeping the vow she had made in that message all those years ago to treat Matthew like her own.
Lincy watched as mother and son were reunited, marking the end of a journey that started with an unexpected discovery during a regular flight. She realized at that very moment that Matthew had been placed in her life for a purpose—to be loved, nurtured, and ultimately reunited with his birth mother, completing a circle of hope and forgiveness.