She is the type of woman that always thinks things through very carefully. She never took a decision in her life without consideration and has always been balancing the pros and cons of the situation in question. Always in control of her life, actions and emotions. Sometimes, she could get lost in her own thoughts of deep consideration, that the meaning of the subject was lost. Her friends called many names, one of them was ‘indecisive’. She called herself ‘careful’. After all, in this life we should be very careful about the risks we take. There is no going back. And you have to pay for every decision. The ‘Nothing in this life is served free’ was one of her motto as a lawyer. She could close a deal with the opposite party in minutes. She had the 'persuasive skills' lets say or mediation skills...

Nevertheless, this June was going to be totally different. A total change of scenery. The clouds of doubtfulness would disappear with no effort to keep them…Airplanes went above those clouds with no effort too.

The airport lounge seemed to be the perfect place for the decisions to be taken. It was the right moment at the right place. Perhaps…  'Airports are considered to be too emotional places to take serious decisions in life'. she thought. At a moment, she recalled a phrase from her Art professor that ‘airports are ‘non places’, because they produce ‘anonymity of the citizens’ and serve as ‘ideological instruments’ to pecuniary consumption…She enjoyed those art lessons. 'Airports are non-places…' Correctly said.

She could argue on this with strong positions to support it. Firstly, when you travel, you are under a shopaholic kind of influence to buy things that most of the time are not for you. Secondly, you return home with lots of chocolate bars that you have to eat and get fat and thirdly your visa cards are empty. But anyway, you had fun with it because you were travelling and everything seemed right. And her professor added that ‘the consumers at the airport become consumed fetish object’. She never understood this phrase, but she thinks it had to do with capitalism. Perhaps…

Anyway, back to this June afternoon. She was not travelling. She had to take him to the airport to return back to his country. His flight was at 19. 15. Boarding time at 18.45. They should not be late. ‘Those were the 7 most beautiful days of my life, darling. Do I have to go??’ he said with his French accent. She looked at him in a mixed feeling of sadness and joy. Sadness, because he was going away one more time, without knowing when it would be their next meeting and joy because, she would go back to her no stress, routine-like life. Her own comfort zone let’s say. With no surprises, no quick decisions, no spontaneous behavior. He was her total opposite actually.  How could they be a couple? Sometimes she wandered. But maybe he filled her in many ways. Amour, perhaps.... ‘I know, I don’t want you to go either but I guess that’s how we are, our relationship has to be in distance somehow for some reason’ she replied. Sometimes she found her own answers so boring. ‘Will it last, darling?’ she asked. He gave her a kiss and somehow that was his answer.

Attention please, ladies and gentlemen, the boarding of the flight LYS0123 is now ready for boarding.

She was anxious, he was sad. Seven days had gone so fast. They would meet surely during Christmas holidays again. But every separation seemed endless. His life was in Lyon. Her life was still there. At that place. Where she had lived her whole life. Maybe she had been living in a non-place’ as well like the airports. Her life was not so interesting or challenging…In these thoughts she felt more depressed. What was she doing there?

‘Darling, I am ready to board now’. But before I go I want to tell you something that has been on my mind for some time now’. She was curious… ‘oh my God, he is going to break up with me. I can feel it. He is tired of this long distance relationship. This is the end. Suddenly she heard a song playing

‘Just stop your crying

It's a sign of the times

Welcome to the final show

Hope you're wearing your best clothes

You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky

You look pretty good down here

But you ain't really good’….

This song   of Harry Styles, reminded her of something in the past…a break up? ‘it’s a sign, he is leaving. I am going to end up alone.’ she convinced herself. Agony would be now her middle name.

‘I’ll say it very quickly. I don’t have time to lose. Will you marry me?' A ring came out of his hand as he popped the question. ‘I know that you are the type of person who wants to think things through, but I have to make the proposal now or never.  I want to live with you forever. Will you be my wife?’ he continued with more confidence, although he hated cliché questions… he even thought that his whole proposal idea was cliché. But sometimes it is acceptable when you have no other way of showing your feelings.   She was shocked. She never had a marriage proposal in her life before. Let alone at an airport lounge next to the gate of departure. She was speechless.

Her thoughts returned quickly to her head together with her reasoning… She had to think clearly. ‘In Law school we had learned in contract law about the ‘Offer and acceptance’ and the Proposal. And if someone accepts the proposal he has to give a consideration. Critical thinking is the key, yes.' Would she have to give something in return? Her freedom perhaps? Would she lose everything? Or maybe she would simply earn Love? 'Love is the question. Love is the answer. He only asked her to follow him. 'Nothing more'. She took a decision beyond her wildest dreams. She said ‘Yes!’. The song now played was the ‘I want to know what love is, I want you to show me…’

She knew her decision was the right one. Airports are non-places but the proposal was real. As she was boarding she had a thought ‘Our life is like an airplane. Once it takes off to new flights and once it lands and then takes off again for another destination. C’est la vie, as her French partner said’. ‘I love you’ she said in high tone for the first time in her life.