Honestly, I felt so grateful for it because it was also a chance to make my mom, Melissa, proud. She’s my best friend, and that’s mainly because she has raised me as a single parent. She told me my father passed away before I was born, but she never stopped me from chasing my dreams. Mom’s always been there to support me, and I love her for that.So, when I told her about the meeting in LA, she hugged me and said, “Go get ’em, sweetie! I’ll be praying for you.” The time flew by at the airport, and soon I found myself comfortably seated on the plane, ready to take off. The flight attendants were all so welcoming, and I lucked out with an emptyseat next to me!As the plane began to ascend, I couldn’t help but feel excited. I was well-prepared for my presentation, hoping the investors would like it.A few minutes into the flight, a friendly-looking flight attendant named Bethany approached me with a tray of drinks. “Can I get you something to sip on?” she asked with a smile. “Just orange juice, please,” I replied, raising my hand to accept the glass. As I did, Bethany glanced down at the birthmark on my wrist. “I’m sorry, could I have your passport, please?” she asked suddenly.Well, that’s strange, I thought. Confused but not wanting to argue, I handed it over. Bethany looked it over carefully before returning it with a nod. “Just a standard protocol check. Thank you!” Sounds cool. A short while later, Bethany returned to my seat. “Excuse me, will you be in a rush after we land?” she asked. “Yeah, I’ve got a connecting flight to catch and I’m already running late,” I explained as I subconsciously clasped my hands together.”Well, the pilot wants to speak with you after we land.” “The pilot?” I asked. “Why? Can’t he just talk to me now?” “I’m afraid not,” Bethany replied in a serious tone. “He wants to talk to you in person. I know you’re in a hurry, but trust me, you’ll want to hear this. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”What on earth could the pilot possibly need to tell me? And why did it have to wait until after we landed? My big meeting was hanging in the balance, and I didn’t want to risk missing my connection. But Bethany’s insistence made me feel like this was something important.As the plane touched down and the other passengers began filing out, I steeled myself and waited patiently for the pilot to approach.When the cabin was finally empty, a tall man with graying hair entered, his eyes immediately locking onto mine. At that point, I literally dropped my bag and jacket. My jaw just about hit the floor because I could’ve sworn I had seen this man before. I instantly recognized him from old photos my mom had shown me. This was Steve, her childhood friend. But the man didn’t look happy to see me.In fact, tears were streaming down his face as he threw his arms around me in a tight embrace. I stood there, completely bewildered, as he sobbed into my shoulder. “What’s going on?” I asked in a shaky voice. “What happened?” He pulled away, gazing at me with red-rimmed eyes. Then, he gently took my hand and revealed a birthmark on his wrist. It was an exact match to the one on mine. “Courtney,” he choked out, “I’m your father.””Wait, what?” I looked at him with eyes wide open. “My father? But Mom said…” Why did Mom lie to me? I thought. Why didn’t she ever tell me that Steve was my father?”I don’t know what Melissa told you, Courtney, but this is the truth,” Steve continued. “She suddenly disappeared from my life when I was about to attend aviation school.”She didn’t even tell me she was pregnant… I… I got to know through a friend but it was years after you were born.” At that point, all I wanted to do was confront Mom. I wanted to find out why she left Steve. I wanted to know why she hid everything from me. I immediately pulled out my phone and called her.”Mom, why didn’t you ever tell me about Steve?” I demanded as soon as she answered. I had her on speakerphone so Steve could hear. “Why did you keep this from me?” “Steve? What do you mean, sweetie?” she asked, still trying to hide the truth from me. “Mom, please stop!” I rolled my eyes. “I just met Steve on the airplane. He’s here with me. Now please tell me everything. I need answers. He needs answers!”After a few seconds of silence, Mom finally spoke. Her voice was thick with emotion as she began to explain. “Oh, Courtney, I’m so sorry,” she cried. “When we were young, Steve wanted to go to aviation school and become a pilot. But then I got pregnant with you… and… and I knew that if he found out, he would give up his dreams to be with us…””I couldn’t let him do that,” she continued after a pause. “So, I left without telling him. I thought it was the right thing to do at the time, but I can see now how much it’s hurt all of us.” Steve’s face crumpled as he listened. “Melissa,” he choked out, “I… I loved you so much. I would have done anything for you and our child… Why didn’t you trust me?””Steve? Oh my…” Mom gasped. “I… I thought I was protecting you. I was scared. I’m sorry, Steve. I’m so, so sorry.” I felt like my head was spinning. All these years, my mom had lied to me about my father’s fate, and now here he was, a complete stranger, pouring his heart out to both of us. I couldn’t process it all. “Mom, this is… this is a lot to take in,” I stammered. “I’m already late for the big meeting with the investors… I don’t know how I’ll get to LA now.”Steve’s eyes widened as I mentioned the investors. “You’re going to LA? What’s the meeting about?”I quickly explained the details to Steve. I told him how I was supposed to present a major project to secure a big promotion at work. I saw his expression shift as I told him everything about the company and the investors. “Well then, we can’t let you miss that meeting,” he declared, “because I know those investors very well, Courtney.””What? How?” I asked. “I used to fly their private jet a few years ago, and they were very kind to me,” Steve revealed as he slid out his phone. “Let me make a few calls, and I’ll get you in front of them today.” True to his word, he sprang into action, making a series of hushed phone calls. Within an hour, I found myself being ushered into a swanky conference room. I couldn’t believe it.The best part was that the meeting went better than I could have imagined. The investors were impressed and agreed to fund my project idea. Besides that, I got a call from my boss and he offered me the promotion I had been hoping for. I was super happy! As I walked out of the room, I saw Steve waiting for me with open arms. “You did it!” he exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you, Courtney.”I felt a lump in my throat as I hugged him back. This man, whom I had never known, was now an integral part of my life, and somehow, it felt right. All those years of feeling like something was missing had led me to this moment, and I couldn’t help but wonder what else the future had in store. The next week, Steve visited our house to meet Mom.It was an emotional reunion, filled with tears, laughter, and a sense of wholeness that had been missing for so long. That day, I understood what it felt like to have a complete family. As I lay in bed that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the incredible turn of events. Who would have thought that a routine flight to LA would lead to the discovery of my long-lost father? It was the kind of plot twist you only see in the movies. But here I was, living it.And while it was overwhelming, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude and excitement for what the future might hold.