So, last week I had to fly out to Arizona for a big work meeting. Business trips always sound a lot more glamorous than they are, but this one was a particularly draining ordeal.

From the moment I landed, it was a blur of back-to-back presentations, networking lunches, and long meetings that went late into the night. My schedule was so packed that, by the end of it, I hadn’t even had a chance to step outside the hotel to get a glimpse of the actual city.

By the time I boarded my flight to another meeting, I was wiped out. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced that kind of travel fatigue, where all you can think about is how quickly you can get to the next quiet spot to close your eyes for just five minutes.

That was me—running on coffee fumes with my laptop bag feeling like it was loaded with bricks. I was just praying for another calm flight where I could drift off for a couple of hours.

As I made my way down the narrow plane aisle, I found my seat, stowed my bag in the overhead compartment, and finally took a moment to breathe. The soft rumble of passengers settling in, the hum of the plane—it was almost soothing. I figured that with a little luck, I might even be able to catch some sleep before landing.

Little did I know, I was about to witness one of the strangest situations I’d ever encountered.

The seat next to me was taken by a couple who looked… well, let’s say mismatched.

The guy looked like he’d come straight out of a corporate office. He was neat, in a pressed shirt, and scrolling through his phone with an intense expression.

His girlfriend, though? She looked like she’d barely survived the night. Her hair was tangled, her mascara smudged, and she had that bleary, post-party look as she slumped into her seat.

“Ugh… I still feel awful,” she groaned, squeezing her temples.

The guy didn’t look up from his phone. “Maybe that’s because you thought taking ‘just one more shot’ was a good idea,” he muttered back, his voice as icy as it was annoyed.

She shot him a half-hearted glare. “Well, you didn’t have to drag me out so early this morning, you know. I’m dying here.”

“Oh, trust me, I’m aware,” he replied rolling his eyes. He didn’t even bother looking at her, just kept scrolling through his phone as if he were alone.

I tried to focus on my own world, but with them sitting right next to me, their bickering was hard to ignore. Every now and then, she’d grumble, “I think I’m gonna be sick,” which would prompt him to sigh dramatically and shake his head.

“I told you last night to slow down, didn’t I?” he’d snap. “But no. You had to prove you could keep up with everyone else. And now look at you.”

“Oh, give it a rest, will you?” she mumbled, throwing herself back against the seat and closing her eyes again. The guy’s nostrils flared as he took a deep breath, clearly counting to ten to keep his cool.

The flight attendants were coming around with drinks, and she flagged one down with a weak wave. “Could I get a ginger ale?” she asked, barely lifting her head. The attendant handed her one with a sympathetic smile, and she muttered, “Thanks,” taking a small sip.

“You need it,” the guy said in a low, exasperated voice, almost under his breath. “At this rate, you’ll need a miracle by the time we land.”

They continued like this, her making occasional complaints, him tossing back curt responses filled with frustration. I was doing my best to ignore the drama and focus on the in-flight magazine, but every little exchange made it harder to concentrate.

Little did I know, though, that their strange dynamic was only the beginning of the surprises this flight had in store.

After we landed, I stretched and gathered my things, eager to escape the cramped cabin. Most passengers had already filed out, so I waited for the aisle to clear before reaching up to retrieve my bag. That’s when I heard it—a faint sound, soft but unmistakable.

A baby crying.

I paused, frowning as the sound grew clearer. It seemed to be coming from above, but I didn’t see anyone nearby with a child. Most of the families had already left, and there wasn’t a baby in sight.

I glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed. The few remaining passengers were absorbed in their own things. Heart pounding, I reached toward the overhead bin a few rows behind mine, where the sound seemed to be coming from. I hesitated, wondering if I was just imagining it.

But there it was again—a tiny, pitiful cry.

Taking a deep breath, I swung open the bin. Inside was a large black duffel bag. I stared at it, hardly daring to breathe. I could hear the baby’s cries from inside the bag, louder now, insistent.

“Oh my God… there’s a child in here!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the nearly empty plane.

Immediately, a flight attendant and a few remaining passengers turned to look, eyes wide. My hands shook as I carefully lifted the duffel bag out of the compartment, heart pounding. I slowly unzipped the bag, bracing myself for whatever I might find.

Inside was… a doll.

I blinked, utterly confused. A realistic baby doll, the kind used for parenting classes, lay inside the bag, complete with tiny baby clothes. It continued to “cry,” an unsettlingly lifelike wail that filled the cabin.

“Oh, thank heavens!” A frantic voice broke through my shock. It was the neat guy from my row, rushing over with his disheveled girlfriend trailing behind.

“What… what is this?” I stammered, looking at him in disbelief.

“That’s, uh… ours,” he said, glancing at the doll, then at his girlfriend with a tight, irritated expression. “It’s a training doll. I bought it because”—he lowered his voice—”she’s been talking about wanting a baby, and, well…” He trailed off, irritated and gesturing toward his girlfriend, who looked both sheepish and annoyed.

She crossed her arms defensively. “I told you, I’m ready for a baby!” she snapped.

“Ready? You left it at the airport after that ‘just one drink’ party last night!” he hissed back. “I had to go find it myself while you were passed out in the waiting area! You can’t even keep track of a doll, let alone a real baby.”

She huffed and rolled her eyes, turning away from him. “Well, maybe I wouldn’t have left it if you weren’t constantly criticizing me!”

“Criticizing you?” he shot back, his frustration finally boiling over. “I bought this doll because I needed proof you could handle responsibility for more than a few hours. And, clearly, I was right. You can’t!”

The realization hit me all at once. He wasn’t angry because of her hangover—he was angry because he’d been testing her, and she’d failed spectacularly. He ran a hand through his hair, looking exhausted, then turned to her with a sigh.

“This just isn’t going to work,” he said flatly. “You’re not ready for a baby. And I don’t think we’re ready for… well, anything.”

For a moment, she looked like she might protest, but then her shoulders slumped, and she simply shrugged. Without another word, she turned and walked off the plane.

I stood there, clutching the crying training doll, utterly speechless. Who tests their girlfriend’s “parenting readiness” with a doll on a cross-country flight? And who loses track of it after a night out, only to leave it crying, abandoned in an overhead bin?

The man sighed, rubbing his temples as he glanced back down the aisle where his girlfriend had just disappeared. “I thought this would be a wake-up call,” he muttered, almost to himself. “Guess I was the one who needed waking up.”

I couldn’t hold back any longer. “You really thought a doll would solve things?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He looked at me, managing a weak, embarrassed smile. “Guess it sounds pretty ridiculous, huh?”

“Ridiculous?” I repeated, struggling not to laugh. “It’s honestly… unbelievable. I mean, people could’ve thought there was an actual child in danger up there!”

He scratched his head, clearly at a loss. “Yeah, well… maybe I deserve that. But, you know, better to find out now than later, right?”

I shook my head, still stunned by everything that had just happened. “You know what? Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

He gave a defeated nod and muttered, “You have no idea.”

Enjoyed this story? Here is another you’ll love: A child passed me a note and $10 on a plane — It changed everything. Click here to read the full story.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided as “is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.