Passengers were beginning to gather near the gate. The man in the gray suit was already there, speaking impatiently to an airline employee. Dad remained quiet beside me, occasionally glancing toward the aircraft through the large windows. I wondered whether he was still thinking about the insult, but he didn’t mention it. Instead, he kept touching the small silver wings inside his jacket.

Then the gate agent approached us and examined Dad’s boarding pass. Her expression changed slightly. She asked him to wait a moment before boarding. I immediately became concerned, wondering whether there was a problem with his ticket. Dad simply nodded and slipped his hand into his jacket pocket again. A few minutes later, a uniformed pilot walked out from the boarding area. He looked across the waiting passengers, scanning the crowd as though searching for someone. Then his eyes landed on my father. He stopped completely, staring at Dad for several seconds before beginning to walk straight toward us.