Chapter 1

Liz pulled her small carry-on across the threshold, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to get a break from the hustle and bustle of the airport terminal. After showing her boarding pass to the woman at the counter, Liz walked into the lounge and searched for a quiet place to sit and rest.

The lounge was more quiet than outside, but not by much. Liz grimaced. It seemed that everyone had access to the lounge these days. Would she be able to find an empty table at all? She glanced around, but came up short. Liz sighed, and resigned herself to sharing a table with someone else. She saw a table with another woman in it. Perfect!

Liz approached the table, and noticed that the woman’s eyes were wet, and that she occasionally wiped tears away from her cheeks. “Is everything ok, honey?” Liz asked when she reached the table.

Sarah looked up at Liz, and said, “I just miss my kids, that’s all. It’s ok.”

“Do you mind if I sit here?” Liz asked. “There aren’t any empty tables around, but I understand if you want some privacy.”

“No, that’s alright,” Sarah replied, and waved her hand towards the seat.

Liz sat down opposite Sarah and said, “I’m Liz, by the way.”

“Sarah.”

“How old are your kids?” Liz asked.

Sarah said, “My son is ten, and my daughter just turned two.”

Liz nodded. “When did you last see your kids?”

“Yesterday,” Sarah said morosely. “I’m divorced from my wife, and so I only get to see them once a month. It’s going to be a long time before I’ll get to see them again.”

Sarah started sniffing and crying again.

“Let me get you a drink,” Liz said. She stood up and went to the drinks section, and poured two glasses of coke.

Liz walked back with the drinks and said, “I hope coke is ok. I’m sure you’d like some alcohol, but I don’t think they have any here. Not free, anyway.”

Sarah smiled at Liz and replied, “Thank you for being nice to me. It’s a nice change.”

Liz said, “Why wouldn’t people be nice to you? You seem like a nice person. Let me guess, your ex is terrible to you?”

Sarah nodded and said, “Yes, her and everyone else. I’m a transgender woman, and there are plenty of people who are biased against me and people like me.” Sarah looked closely at Liz to watch her reaction.

A look of surprise came over Liz’s face, but it passed quickly, and Liz smiled back. “Oh! I wouldn’t have guessed. You look so ... normal.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Sarah said. “I’m very lucky and privileged with my genetics. Even though I transitioned in my thirties, I pass pretty well.”

“Pass?” Liz asked.

“Oh, that’s a term we use, to mean that I look like a cis woman,” Sarah explained. “And before you ask, cis just means people who are happy with the gender they were born in, unlike trans people.”

Liz looked at Sarah in more detail. “Yes, I’d say that you pass very well indeed.”

Sarah said sadly, “That was partly why my wife left me. She couldn’t deal with looking like a lesbian in public. She became more and more hostile to me as my changes became more apparent. Eventually, she just couldn’t take it any more and we got a divorce.”

Liz put her hand over Sarah’s on the table, and said, “I’m so sorry to hear that, Sarah. For what it’s worth, I think you should be who you are, and things will eventually work out!”

Sarah smiled weakly. “Thank you. It’s rare that I find someone who’s as accepting as you.” Changing the topic, Sarah asked, “So, where are you headed?”

Liz replied, “Oh, I’m flying to San Francisco. I’m meeting some friends there, and hanging out in the city.”

Sarah gasped. “Me too! But I’m going to SF for a work thing. I’m flying via Delta, how about you?”

Liz said, “I’m flying on United. Looks like we’ll be on different flights. I’m surprised they have multiple airlines flying this route.”

Sarah shrugged and said, “I guess there’s enough demand for it. Do you visit SF often?”

“Not as often as I’d like. I really like the city. Oh! Do you want to join my friends and I at Jolene’s Bar one night? If you’re free, of course. It’s a queer-friendly bar,” Liz said and winked at Sarah.

Sarah smiled and replied, “I’m not really looking for a relationship right now, but I’d be happy to join you and your friends. Which day is it?”

Liz turned on her phone and checked her calendar. “How about Wednesday night at 9?”

Sarah checked her calendar as well and answered, “Sure, that sounds good with me.”

The duo exchanged their phone numbers, and Sarah glanced at the clock on her phone.

“My flight is boarding soon,” Sarah said. “I guess I’ll see you at Jolene’s?”

Liz smiled. “I look forward to it!”

The flight to San Francisco was uneventful, and Sarah’s thoughts fluctuated between work, her kids, and Liz. She was surprised that Liz was as friendly as she had been, and slightly worried that Liz had an ulterior motive, or was just being polite when she invited Sarah to the bar. Sarah wondered if she should have declined the invitation.