18 Hours

Red eye flight, 15 hours long
He leaned his head against the seat
Only a few minutes into the trip
And his heart was already skipping a beat

Stewardess came around later
Pushing her cart up and down the aisle
Asked if he needed anything
He shook his head and gave her a smile

Passenger beside him leaned forward
Asked, “Where you headed to, soldier?”
He closed his eyes for a moment
“I’m going home,” he told her

“Coming back from active duty?”
She gently touched his sleeve
He smiled, shook his head and said,
“This time just a 2 day leave.”

She looked surprised as she said
“Then what are you doing on this flight?
You’ll only have 18 hours home.”
He said, “I’ll be with my family for a night.”

“My wife just had a baby,
A beautiful little girl.
And it’s our third anniversary
I wouldn’t want to miss it for the world.”

“I know it probably seems crazy
But I’ll do everything in my power,
38 hours on a plane
To see my family for those few hours.”

Passenger shook her head in disbelief
“I’ll admit, in some ways it does
But guys like you deserve the most
To be with the ones you love.”

15 hours later, they touched down
She smiled and said, “It was a pleasure to meet you.
Enjoy your time with your family
And thank you for all that you do.”

They shook hands and parted ways
He went to the gate, his gait had a spring
He had 18 hours with his wife and daughter
And he didn’t want to miss a thing.