“Sir, Please Pretend You’re Sick And Step Off This Plane Right Now,” The Flight Attendant Whispered—And Her Words Made Sense Only Minutes Later When My Son And Daughter-In-Law Looked At Me With An Expression No Parent Should Ever See

The First Warning Came Long Before I Understood It.

I was boarding a flight from Phoenix to Las Vegas with my son, Mark, and his wife, Sabrina—a trip they wrapped in the shiny label of “family bonding.” At seventy-one, I didn’t expect much more than a hotel breakfast buffet and a few hours of walking around the Strip. That’s all I thought the weekend would be.

I found my seat a few rows behind theirs. They were already leaning toward each other, whispering in a way that was far too focused for a vacation. I pushed the observation aside. I was tired, and the hum of the cabin made it easy to ignore small discomforts.