He sat with his wife’s photo, waiting for a son who had already boarded without him

Kansas, just after noon. It was quiet, almost too quiet after the blur of terminals and engines, but I welcomed the stillness. Standing on the platform was a small, sturdy woman in a denim jacket, her silver hair pulled back, holding a cardboard sign.

It read “William + Elena” in shaky black marker. June Harmon. She dropped the sign the moment she continue reading …