The Actor's Contract

1 A not-so-great start

Date = 18 MarchPlace = San Francisco International AirportAria Thompson = 20 years oldEnrique Blackburn = 23 years oldLeyla Thompson = 7 years oldPOV - Aria ThompsonI hold a firm grip on the small hand in mine, patiently waiting next to one of the blue cylindrical columns that support the roof of the terminal. I keep my eye on the silver carousel for our bright green suitcase to arrive.Funny how you can fit a whole 20 years of existence into a single suitcase. For the umpteenth time since we bordered the plane, my morning coffee pushes up in my throat; my nerves are not only raw but bleeding. I swallow down the burning sensation and look down to find a pair of tired teal eyes fixed on me. I fake a smile at the pale elf-like face under the bright pink bandanna sprouting white daisies and receive a goofy toothless one in return.The colorful garment hides her bald head, her hair loss a side-effect of the chemo treatments, but typical Leyla … she just takes it in her stride. She no