DELAYED

The coldest of December mornings, they dreaded trudging through it all just to get to the airport, yet it was the family thoughts and traditions that warmed the heart and memories tickled the soul. Tomorrow was going to be Christmas! Tracy and Lenny were waiting to board flight number 222. Flight 222 to Los Angeles was delayed due to weather issues...oh what they meant was the blizzard that had came in this morning. DELAYED, DELAYED, DELAYED...who thought one word could be so soul crushing.

Temperatures in New Hampshire, in December, were record-breaking cold. Today was supposed to be a big day, Lenny and Tracy were leaving on an airplane, both heading in the same direction, for Los Angeles California. They had never met before. All their thoughts were focused on getting home. Neither of them had seen their family in a few years.

They both desired to reminisce and feel the warmth only family could bring on a freezing cold winter holiday. Unfortunately...DELAYED, DELAYED, DELAYED was the only word that rang through their heads. Tracy knew she was not be going home for the holidays this year.

She had moved to New Hampshire for an art teaching position a few years ago. Tracy's last holiday flight home got nowhere for the same reason. It was that, that had deterred her from even wanting to try again.

This was Lenny's first attempt to go home for the holidays, since he started at Dartmouth College. He received his scholarship to this ivy league school, his main focus had been on his engineering major. Free time was not a luxury he did not possess. This was going to be the best Christmas in years. He couldn't wait to be home wearing flip-flops in December. Lenny had never even owned a jacket, nevermind boots until he moved to New Hampshire.

Waiting, waiting, waiting...watching everyone shift from chair to chair, while they rolled their luggage along with them. Some put their heads down to try to sleep or at least rest, others nervously looked around or were consumed by their phone.

Tracy and Lenny were both trying to stay awake. Everyone in waiting Area B, were just hoping and praying that a possibility to board their plane this evening still existed. Each and every passenger longed to spend, tomorrow, Christmas day with their families.

DELAYED, DELAYED, DELAYED.... It does not look like it's going to happen. Today sadness swept over the airport and all the passengers of Flight 222. Everyone suddenly realized their dreams of Christmas at home, would result in only dreams and not reality.

As Tracy and Lenny scanned the waiting area, they realized, many of the passengers were in groups; some couples and some families. It appeared they were the only single passengers.

Irritated and frustrated, Lenny huffed as he pulled his baseball cap down. Tracy couldn't help but notice he was the only hot, single (well at least a single passenger). She knew there was nothing that said this guy was safe or available. Her past experiences only supported this theory, she was not capable of selecting or accepting the attention from the right guy. Tracy wasn't even sure, if she wanted to talk to him. She had to stop looking for love in all the wrong places.

Everyone else was waiting for the sound of the announcement declaring they would be loading the plane.

Lenny could feel Tracy looking at him. He tried to shift his ball cap, just enough to see where the energy of that look was coming from, to his surprise it was a cute red-headed, freckle faced girl. She had a figure so beautiful, you could see it through her winter coat. It was like she emminated beauty and mystery. Lenny was pretty sure they were the same age.

After much contemplation, Lenny decided to purchase them both a latte from the airport cafe. As he passed the second souvenir shop, he saw her. Her fiery hair was something you could not miss. Lenny was glad he had bought this beautiful girl, in Waiting Area B, a latte. Now to find out if she would be happy with his purchase and his presence.

Tracy saw him coming with a coffee cup in each hand. The closer he came the more intense the butterflies were, which was very unusual. She hadn't dated anyone since she moved to New Hampshire. Her sweet heart had broken her heart, on graduation day, when he told her it was time for them to go their separate ways. Crushed, she decided she would not date until she returned home to California. She had no idea how much Lenny had affected her.

Tracy watched him slowly cross the airport, all she could do was wonder, who is this guy? Why was he here? ...his pace had changed, he was coming over here quickly. Before she could even finish her thought, Lenny was right in front of her. He pushed a latte in her face, saying "I got this for you...I knew this was going to be a long night and I thought you would need it. Is this seat taken?"

Her thoughts had overtaken her. Tracy couldn't even imagine pushing herself to answer this question. All she could do was focus on was the wonderfully attractive man handing her a latte.

Amongst the chaos, Tracy decided to let Lenny sit and talk to her. They talked about everything from that moment to their preferences. Neither one of them could've imagined how fast time would fly by. The storm had stopped time.

Other passengers couldn't even comprehend, it was like time had stopped. The people and conversations they would encounter were based upon convenience. If they were not stuck here, would they even be speaking to one another? Tracy and Lenny watched as couples were ready to rip each other's hair out. Then they'd hug because it's almost Christmas day and they knew were supposed to be nice to one another.

Tracy took all this in, while Lenny didn't let one sight escape him either. Lenny had seen all the same things she saw, he just didn't care the same way she did. He knew what he wanted and it was her. Prior to knowing that he wanted her, all he had wanted was to go home.

How quickly things had changed. Now all he wanted was to spend this Christmas with her and she felt the same way. Who would have ever thought, Tracy and Lenny were going to spend Christmas alone at the airport in New Hampshire. This was the Christmas everyone dreaded...spending it at an airport terminal, instead of home with family and friends.

For Tracy and Lenny, it was the beginning of an everlasting relationship. No one could have ever imagined this delayed flight would be the story they would tell their grandchildren.