James Walker stood at the airport check – in counter, his newborn daughter, Lily, held tenderly in his arms. His eyes were red – rimmed from exhaustion and the deep grief that weighed heavily on him. But he was doing his best to keep it together.
His wife, Emily, had passed away during childbirth, leaving him as the only parent to their precious little girl.
He was now trying to make his way back home to Denver from New York. Emily had wanted to have their baby close to her parents here in New York.
But just when he thought he was finally on his way home, the airline attendant shook her head.
“I’m sorry, sir. But airline regulations state that infants have to be at least seven days old to board a flight without proper medical clearance. Your baby is only five days old. I can’t let you on this flight.”James swallowed hard.
He had no clue about this rule. He hadn’t booked a hotel, had no family in New York, and hardly had enough money to get by.
The thought of spending two more days alone in a strange city with his daughter was just too much to bear. His voice broke as he begged, “Please, I have nowhere to go. I just lost my wife. I really need to get home.”
Other passengers turned their heads. Some gave sympathetic looks, but no one stepped up to help—except for one.
“Excuse me, young man,” came a warm yet firm voice from behind him. James turned to see an elderly woman with kind, gray eyes and a cane in her hand. “I couldn’t help but overhear. My name is Meredith Carter. And you’re coming with me.”
