I was halfway through my audiobook when I felt a tiny hand tugging at my sleeve. Looking down, I saw a small boy with tear-streaked cheeks staring up at me. Before I could react, he climbed into my lap and curled up against me like he’d done it a hundred times before. I held perfectly still, waiting for a frantic parent to come rushing down the aisle. No one came.
By the time we landed, the boy – who told me his name was Finn – was fast asleep in my arms. The woman beside me assumed I was his mother. Flight attendants called for his family over the intercom, but no one responded. My stomach twisted as security got involved. Finally, a distraught couple appeared – they hadn’t even realized their son was missing until the plane emptied.
But the story didn’t end there. Something about Finn stayed with me. When I learned his parents weren’t able to care for him properly, I surprised myself by asking to become his foster parent. The next six months were challenging but beautiful – watching this scared little boy slowly learn to trust again.
The day his parents regained custody broke my heart, but I’ll never regret opening my home – and my lap – to a child who needed comfort more than anyone realized. Sometimes life’s most meaningful connections come when we least expect them.
