Terminal Lockdown Reunion

I dropped my boarding pass in sheer disbelief when I saw her. Standing just three people ahead of

me in the crowded airport café line was Emma. We hadn't spoken a single word since

our "final" goodbye three years ago. I thought I was safe in a city of millions,

but a sudden terminal lockdown had trapped us both in the same fifty-foot radius. The airport noise

seemed to vanish as our eyes met. Her smile flickered—bittersweet and guarded. "Emma," I managed

to say, my heart hammering louder than the overhead security announcements.

She just nodded, her hands gripping her carry-on handle until her knuckles turned white.

As the line shuffled forward, we were forced to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, pretending to watch