Remember the travel nightmare at Christmas last year? Fierce winter weather forced endless delays and cancellations, stranding passengers in airports long after the holiday spirit had worn thin. I lucked out in Tucson, even after several cancellations by Southwest, because I was with my older daughter and her family. The mea culpa from a remorseful Southwest?  A free ticket, anywhere, anytime.

That’s not to say that, since then, every flight on whichever carrier is not filled with trepidation. So I set out for Christmas 2023 in Tucson a little worried. Hobby Airport is not as big as Intercontinental, but Southwest generally flies out of the nethermost gates. This year, I was walking on an injured foot – not broken, but it might as well have been given the pain. So I thought it was a good sign when my departure gate was not too long a walk in a newer wing of the terminal.

WRONG! The flight was delayed, just an hour this time, but the stress had kicked in even before I saw the notification.

So I sat there reading, praying my book would outlast the delay.

It was a quiet terminal. Maybe that’s what collectively held breaths sound like. But there was a play area off in a corner. Finally architects and engineers acknowledged that a substantial number of travelers were impatient and squirmy by design and had provided for them. The distant squeal of happy children punctuated the tense silence of the adults and made the wait bearable.

And then we were told to line up. You know the Southwest drill:  A, B, or C; 1-30, then 31-60. Veterans, families, people with special needs. Except nothing happened. Like the military, it was “Hurry up and wait.” Everyone just returned to their books and phones, or just stared blankly into nowhere in particular. And then two little boys saved the day. They were about five or six. Daniel was with his parents and baby sister. Jeffrey was traveling with his mom. No one noticed either family until Daniel shouted across the gate area, “Hi, friend. Frie-end. Frie-end. Hi.” Everyone turned toward Jeffrey, the only person who could be Daniel’s “frie-end.”

Both boys checked with their moms and ran toward each other as if they had been separated by decades instead of minutes. Daniel was small but definitely confident in his size and personality. Jeffrey was taller, lanky, with a head of soft brown curls, and glasses. He wore a pastel sweatshirt, jeans, and pink tennis shoes. Daniel, the more gregarious of the two, wore jeans, a Texans sweatshirt, and Nikes. Jeffrey was clearly comfortable with his new friend, gladly sharing his two toys. One was a flexible length of plastic that could be shaped into anything they imagined and sound like it, too. Daniel made a giraffe, and Jeffrey made a snake. You fill in the sound effects.

The other toy was Jeffrey’s unicorn. I love unicorns. Very last century, I know. So I thought Jeffrey was really cool to have a unicorn as his lovey, security blanket, emotional support animal – whatever he called it and needed it for. Daniel thought it was cool, too, especially because it doubled as a ball that they tossed back and forth.

When it was time to board, the boys returned to their parents and got in line. I wondered if they had exchanged phone numbers and addresses, and if they would ever see each other again.

I didn’t have to wonder for long. Walking to my seat, I spotted them. They were sitting with Jeffrey’s mom, and Daniel’s family was across the aisle. I sat down behind them, as much out of curiosity as convenience. Every now and then, Daniel would stand in the aisle, resting his elbow on the armrest of the Marine who sat with his parents, just chatting. I was surprised he didn’t ask the Marine about his tattoos. They played games on their tablets, watched ‘Spider-man:  Across the Spider-verse’, and eventually fell asleep.

When we landed, the Marine made room for Daniel to slide in with his parents so they could disembark together. I stood up, and when Jeffrey turned and looked at me, I told him I liked his unicorn. He smiled. Then I told him that my grandson slept with a giant unicorn, and he was in college! Jeffrey’s eyes widened, and so did his smile. Take that, any bullies who have teased this sweet little boy.

The two families didn’t walk off the plane together. They didn’t walk through the terminal together. And they weren’t on my return flight the day after Christmas. But for a few hours on the 23^rd, we were all travel buddies.

Southwest sent me a $50 LUV travel voucher the next day. Daniel and Jeffrey – priceless.