Karen Kingsbury - Fifteen Minutes

Reese sighed. She hated the delay. Here on the ground in Kentucky, she could feel Zack Dylan. Her memories were alive and everything about yesterday still seemed possible. Not until the plane took off could she truly give herself permission to move on.

After nearly another half hour the captain came on again. “Folks, we have some bad news. Our crew has timed out. We’ll have to return to the gate to switch crews. Again, thanks in advance for your patience.”

A chorus of grumbles rose from the crowd. Reese peered at the Kentucky night sky and her heart ached. Please, God . . . get me out of here. I can’t stay much longer.

Her flight was supposed to leave at eight, but as she got off the plane and turned on her phone, it was nearly ten o’clock and some sitcom was on the TV. Reese bought almonds and water at Hudson News. As she returned to the gate, the airline agent was giving another update. Her flight was now leaving out of C11.

She gathered her things and walked with the other passengers to the new gate. She took her seat and felt the weariness in her body. She had never felt so exhausted. Missing Zack, wondering why he had done the things he’d done, walking through the days alone. Getting ready for her move. All of it had drained her energy. She closed her eyes. At least her layover in Atlanta would be shorter. And then finally she would be on the plane to London, where she could get some rest.

And put the last few months behind her.

ZACK COULDN’T SLEEP. He had begged God from the time he left LaGuardia until now as his plane was landing that maybe . . . just maybe he might see her. They would be on the ground in five minutes, sometime around eleven o’clock. He wasn’t sure when her flight took off, but his mom said Reese was on a red-eye through Atlanta.

Every minute would count.

When the plane parked at the gate, Zack barely reached the concourse before a group of Fifteen Minutes fans ran up to him. He had no seconds to spare, not if she was still in the Kentucky airport. But the fans didn’t know that. God, let me shine for You. This is a privilege. I realize that now.

The moment was profound because it stood as a beginning for Zack. Here in this moment he could do nothing but treat it that way. If he wanted to return to the person he’d been before the show, if he wanted to glorify God in moments like this, then he needed to be intentional. He signed autographs and took pictures for ten minutes.

The group was clearly upset with his elimination. “You should have won the whole thing.” One young guy shook his head.

“That’s what I thought,” another chimed in.

A girl with them crossed her arms. “Yeah, I was so mad tonight.”

“Thanks.” Zack smiled. “I appreciate your support.” He took a final picture with a couple of the girls. Then he turned and smiled at them. “God must have better things for me back here.” They nodded, happy with that, and Zack waved. His answer felt wonderful because it was the truth. Here at the airport he was free. No one from the show was watching him or pushing him to say what was best for ratings.

Like before this journey, he didn’t answer to anyone but God. That new reality filled him with hope. A flight board hung on the wall down the concourse. Zack ran to it, frantically searching the departures. Please let her still be here. He spotted the one that had to be hers. A red-eye to Atlanta. His heart sank. The flight was scheduled to leave hours ago. One word next to the gate number gave him hope. Delayed .

In a full sprint he took off toward the C concourse, but by the time he reached her gate, the seating area was empty. He was out of breath as he walked up to the gate agent. “Flight . . . 449?” He looked around, desperate. “Did it leave?”

“It moved to C11.” She checked her monitor. “They’re boarding now.”

Zack could have hugged the woman but he had no time to waste. He ran as fast as he could back down the concourse. The gate was crowded, and people were boarding. He wanted to scream for everyone to stop. She couldn’t slip away from him now that he’d come this close.

Like a crazy person, he darted about trying to find her. Some of the passengers definitely recognized him, but they left him alone. As if they could see he was caught up in some deeply personal moment. Zack looked over everyone in the crowd before he realized the awful truth. She must’ve already boarded. He dropped to the nearest chair and hung his head. How could he have come this far and missed her?

He stayed there, his head in his hands, eyes closed, while the rest of the passengers boarded. Just when the reality had taken root in his heart, when he had come to terms with the fact that he wouldn’t have this last chance, he felt someone walk up to him. He couldn’t take another picture, couldn’t sign another autograph. Not when the girl he loved was leaving.

“Zack?”

His eyes flew open and he was on his feet. It was Reese. Standing in front of him for the first time in months. “I . . . I thought I missed you.”

“I was in the restroom.” She smiled, but it didn’t touch the sadness in her eyes. “I thought they gave you another chance.”

“No.” He came a step closer. “They sent me home.” He held up his hands and then dropped them at his sides. “I’m finished with the show.”

“Hmmm.”

A voice came over the speakers. “All remaining passengers for Flight 449, please board at this time.”

Reese looked over her shoulder and then back at Zack. “I have to go.”

“No. Please . . .” He set his backpack on the seat beside him and came closer, so their faces were inches apart. “You can wait a week, Reese. We need to talk.”

In his mind, he had pictured this moment a hundred times. He would find her in the airport and tell her how sorry he was. She would understand and she’d cancel her flight. But now . . . the walls around her heart were locked in place. She shook her head. “I made a commitment.”

The message was clear. She kept her commitments. Zack’s heart raced and he searched desperately for the right words, anything to make her stay. “Reese, listen.” He put his hand alongside her face. “I love you. I’ll never love anyone the way I love you.” Fear made his voice shaky. “Please, don’t go. I need to talk to you. I need to explain what—”

“Last call for Flight 449. All remaining passengers please board at this time.”

“Zack . . .” She covered his hand with her own. “You don’t need to explain. We have different lives.”

“I don’t want that.” His words came like rapid fire. He was running out of time, and she wasn’t hearing him. Wasn’t budging. “Please, Reese, come home with me. You can go next week.”

“I can’t.” Her eyes softened. She came to him and put her arms around her neck. “Good-bye, Zack.”

“Please . . .”

She pulled away and walked with her things toward the gate.

The airline agents were watching them, anxious for Reese to board. Zack felt himself giving up. He couldn’t chase her onto the plane. She had made up her mind. He stopped and watched her leave, his sides heaving from the way his heart was breaking. “Reese . . .”

She turned around one last time.

“I love you. I’m sorry.”

Her eyes told him that somewhere inside she felt the same way, that she loved him and was sorry it had come to this. But she only held his eyes for a few seconds and then mouthed one last word. “Good-bye.”

With that she boarded the plane and the gate agent locked the door behind her. Zack shuffled to the window and put his hand on the cool glass. He stayed there while the jetway pulled back and the plane taxied out onto the runway. How can this be happening, God? It wasn’t supposed to go like this.