When I'm Gone

Louis' POV

I watched her from a distance, looking at her phone, smiling occasionally at whatever she was doing. She would look up occasionally glancing around at people, she locked eyes with me once, smiled and looked down back to her phone. She's beautiful.

“Flight 441 non-stop from from Chicago O'Hare to London Heathrow, now boarding first class.” The Delta worker announced. I had made my way through this whole airport not being noticed, helps when you travel the red-eye.

I stood, threw my bag over my shoulder and walked to stand in line, I glanced over trying not to get her attention and noticed she was walking over towards me. I got a littler nervous, wondering if she would notice me or say anything, but breathed a sign of relief when she just stood behind me in line.

She was wearing a dress, traveling the red-eye on an eight hour flight wearing a spring dress. I usually don't see people dressed up to fly anymore, but I guess it's rare for me to even fly on a commercial airline, I usually fly private but since it was just me, this was easier.

After passing my ticket off, I found my seat easily, I had gotten a pod in the middle of the plane, deciding not to sit on either side, I don't know why, but I did. I had bought the seat next to me so I wouldn't have to socialize with anyone. I just wanted to sleep and be home with Eleanor.

I set my bag on the next seat and noticed her again. Setting her things down just a few rows up and across from me, I had a perfect view of her. Long brown hair curled just at the ends, long legs, and when our eyes connected I noticed perfect brown eyes. She reminded me of Eleanor, but she didn't at the same time, this was an odd attraction, I wasn't one who was attracted to other women other then Eleanor. She flashed a smile at me and turned around to sit down.

I shook my head, getting an image out of my head and waited as the plane filled up. One by one, people filling in to the plane settling in, almost filling up first class and then the business class. When the main door had closed I noticed this woman getting attention from one of the air hostess'. I was a little bit nosey so I perked my ears up just a bit to hear.

“You want him to have your seat?” The hostess asked, sounding confused. Where was she going to sit then?

“Yes, I'd rather him sit here then me.” She stood up, gathering her things. “Could you get him for me please?” She asks sweetly. What is she doing?

The hostess nodded and walked to business class returning quickly with a man in a military uniform.

“Hi, I'd like you to travel first class, I'd gladly give up my seat to someone so deserving.” She smiles and moves aside for him to sit.

“Are you sure? That's awfully kind of you.” The uniformed man says.

“I'm very sure, enjoy your flight and thank you for your service.” She shakes his hand and starts heading back to business class, I can't believe this.

“Excuse me miss.” I find myself saying. She stops in her tracks and looks at me.

“Yes?” She smiles, placing her hand on the back of the open seat next to me.

“Did you just give up your seat for a man you don't know?”

“I did, he deserves a comfy seat.” She explains looking back at him and adjusting her bag over her shoulder.

“But your first class seat is very expensive.” I try to reason with her.

“It's only money.” She shrugs her shoulders and starts to walk to business class.

“Wait.” I swear my brain isn't connected to my mouth right now, she stops again and waits for me to say something. “I bought two tickets but no one is sitting here, you can sit here if you would like. It's a red-eye, you should get a comfortable seat for the flight.” I can't tell if I'm trying to reason with her or convince myself that this is okay. I should have just let this go, let her sit in business class but I just can't.

“Are you sure?” She asks cautiously.

“It would be my pleasure.” What? Eleanor, don't forget about Eleanor.

She smiles and drops her bag next between the seat and settles into the pod.

“I'm Louis.” I extend my hand out to her which she accepts.

“Kate, nice to meet you.”

I slipped my headphones on and tried to relax, but Kate kept getting my attention. Not on purpose, but I noticed the little things she did. She had no headphones, but just the way she threw her hair over her shoulder, I noticed the way she licked her lips, and I couldn't contain my laughter when she pulled out a coloring book and crayons.

“What?” She looks at me, not embarrassed at all.

“Coloring?” I raise my eyebrows.

“It's quite relaxing. I have a few other books, would you like to join me?” She asks switching to a new color. I close my eyes and think.

“What the hell, what do you got?” I ask as she rifles through her carry on bag and pulls out two other books and I quickly choose one and she pushes the box of crayons towards me so I can start.

Before I knew it I had colored four pictures and Kate was smiling at me.

“Told you.” She teased. I could tell she wasn't British.

“So why are you off to London?” I ask really looking at her.

“Just off on an adventure. I'm buying a house there.” She tells me. Buying a house is an adventure then?

“Buying a house?” I ask, London isn't cheap, no wonder she didn't care about giving her seat away.

“Yeah, I've always wanted to live there and things have just worked out recently that I could.” She closes her coloring book and looks at me.

“Well that's nice.” Wow, way to continue the conversation Louis.

“You from London?” She asks.

“No, I live there now but I'm from Doncaster originally, it's just north of London a few hours. Where are you from?” I'm assuming Chicago since that's where we flew out of.

“Kansas.” Well that was a surprise.

“Kansas?” In the middle of the States? “I've never been. What are you doing flying out of Chicago?” I'm extremely confused now.

“Ah, well I actually came in from LA, I have a cousin in Chicago I was visiting for a few days before I flew out to London.”

“So a world traveler? No boyfriend in tow?” Why was I so interested in her relationship status?

“Um, no actually I'm a widow.” Only a slight, tight, smile appears on her lips.

“Oh, I'm so sorry.” I say, it's always an awkward time when something like that happens.

“It's okay Louis.” I like the way my name drips from her lips. “It's been two years now anyway.” Two years? She doesn't look that much older then me.

“How old are you?” I ask curiously before I can actually think.

“Full of questions today aren't we?” She giggles. “I'm 23.” Just a bit younger then me. “James, my former husband was five years older them me.” She starts to explain, smiling, probably thinking of him.

“So tell me the story.” I ask her, it's a risk, but studying her body language I think it's okay.

“Well, not much to tell, I'm best friends with James' younger sister, Natalie, we're the same age. I always had a crush on her hot older brother and when I turned 18, James finally noticed me, he was 23, just graduated from school and we fell in love quickly. I got pregnant when I was 19, he was 24, we decided to get married when I was 20 with a new baby and he was 25. Then before our daughter turned one, James died.” The smile falls from her lips and she rests her chin on her hand, looking past me.

“So you have a child?” I ask curious, that kind of explains the coloring book and crayons.

“I do, Olivia, she's with my mom right now, they'll fly out when I'm all settled. She just turned three when we were in LA, had a big party at Disney. It was great.”

“You seem like a pretty brave woman.” I give her a backwards compliment?

“Eh, just dealing with the cards I was dealt, I loved James, I love Olivia, and this is what you do when you have the rest of your life to live.”

“So why London?” I' apparently very curious about her.

“Well, I just like it, I have the money to move, the school system is really good and the gun policy is better then that of the United States.” She explains her reasoning.

“Can I ask you a question?” She nods her head. “How did your husband die?” It was a personal question, I didn't want to upset her but for some reason I just had to know. I watched her slowly close her eyes and take a deep breath.

“He was a police officer. It was just a regular Tuesday, kissed us goodbye, he went to work, pulled someone over for speeding and was just going to give the person a warning. Before he had even gotten to run their information he was hit by car that had lost control, killed him on the spot. Come to find out the guy that hit him was drunk.”

“That's terrible.” It really is, I can't imagine that, I'm at a loss for words.

“It was very hard. It's still hard. Something I was not prepared for at all. I mean, I had a baby and now I was a widow at 21. Planning a funeral as I was planning a first birthday party. Not how I thought my life would end up. I thought James and I would be together forever, ride off into the sunset, have babies, grow just grow old together. But I'm still young, just not how my life plan was to go I guess.” She smiles, just just with her mouth but with her eyes too.

Notes

Hey-o!

New story. Lots of feels.

I'll be posting a few chapters tonight just to give you a feel, let me know what you think!!

xoxoxoxoxo