The boarding pass felt warm in Elias’s palm, a promise of the adventure to come. He bounced his leg, a light tremor of anticipation. He'd been looking forward to this for weeks, and the slight delay announced over the intercom did little to dampen his spirits. The wedding of his best friend, Liam, was still hours away. Plenty of time. He took a deep breath, focusing on the image of Liam, grinning ear to ear as he waited at the altar.
He pulled out his phone, scrolling through old photos of Liam and him, reliving shared jokes and memories. The notification bar blinked, a message from Liam. "Almost there, buddy! Can't wait!" Elias typed back, "See you soon!" with a string of emojis. A quick glance at the departures board, and the flight was still listed as delayed. He smiled and started to read a book, the pages turning with a growing sense of exhilaration.
A wave of movement rippled through the departure lounge as the delay lengthened. Elias felt a small prickle of unease, but squashed it. He had time. Plenty of time. He got up and stretched, feeling his limbs unfold. The announcement boomed again, and he listened intently, a faint smile playing on his lips. Liam would be so happy to see him.