“I’m nervous.”
Calm statement.
Instant hands clasp.
Mother and daughter on a plane.
Daughter is nervous.
First flight or many?
Window seat. First row.
Mom in the middle.
Stranger on the aisle.
Me.
Intruder.
Warm smile under my mask.
Thinking of my Mom.
Mother-daughter relationships.
Complicated simplicity.
Where are we going?
I’m nervous.

By Katherine Zimmer
April 2023