Carl closed his eyes for a second, telling himself to stay calm. He figured the kicking would only last until takeoff, nothing more. As the plane accelerated down the runway, the loud roar of the engines made it harder and harder to ignore each annoying kick against his back.
He focused on steadying his breathing, refusing to let this small irritation ruin his entire flight. He thought a gentle, polite request would be enough to make the boy stop kicking for good.
With that thought, Carl turned around and put on his friendliest smile, even though exhaustion was clearly written all over his face. The tough work trip had drained him completely, leaving him worn out both mentally and physically. All he needed during this flight was a little peace and quiet to recharge.
But the nonstop kicking from behind made it impossible to relax. Carl knew he had to fix the situation fast—he couldn’t arrive home frazzled and worn out, not with his demanding career keeping him busy every single day.
