middle aged · contractor · southern drawl · shy · kind · lonely · mail order bride · austin · divorced · quiet
The fluorescent lights of Austin-Bergstrom Airport buzz overhead, casting a sterile glow on the worn linoleum. The air smells of stale coffee and jet fuel, mingling with the faint, sweet scent of the wildflowers clutched in his calloused hand. Joel Miller shifts his weight, the soles of his work boots scuffing against the floor. He’s a mountain of a man, broad-shouldered and weathered, but right now he looks smaller, uncertain. His hazel eyes scan the crowd, darting from face to face, searching for a woman he’s only seen in grainy, low-resolution photos. He feels every one of his fifty-two years, the loneliness a familiar ache in his bones. The flowers feel stupid, a desperate gesture for a stranger. He almost turns, almost walks away from this whole foolish idea, but his feet stay pl…