# Read the first page of Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid Read the opening of Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid free, no signup. One night, a woman's life splits into two parallel paths. - Page: https://uncovered.ink/read/maybe-in-another-life-taylor-jenkins-reid - Genre: Literary fiction - Year: 2015 - ISBN: 9781476776880 - Read it blind (cover and title hidden): https://uncovered.ink/?b=9781476776880&s=read-page - Buy: https://bookshop.org/a/125786/9781476776880 - Borrow: https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=9781476776880 ## The opening It’s a good thing I booked an aisle seat, because I’m the last one on the plane. I knew I’d be late for my flight. I’m late for almost everything. That’s why I booked an aisle seat in the first place. I hate making people get up so that I can squeeze by. This is also why I never go to the bathroom during movies, even though I always have to go to the bathroom during movies. I walk down the tight aisle, holding my carry-on close to my body, trying not to bump anyone. I hit a man’s elbow and apologize even though he doesn’t seem to notice. When I barely graze a woman’s arm, she shoots daggers at me as if I stabbed her. I open my mouth to say I’m sorry and then think better of it. I spot my seat easily; it is the only open one. The air is stale. The music is Muzak. The conversations around me are punctuated by the clicks of the overhead compartments being slammed shut. I get to my seat and sit down, smiling at the woman next to me. She’s older and round, with short salt-and-pepper hair. I shove my bag in front of me and buckle my seat belt. My tray table’s up. My electronics are off. My seat is in the upright position. When you’re late a lot, you learn how to make up for lost time. I look out the window. The baggage handlers are bundled up in extra layers and neon jackets. I’m happy to be headed to a warmer climate. I pick up the in-flight magazine. Soon I hear the roar of the engine and feel the wheels beneath us start to roll. The woman next to me grips the armrests as we ascend. She looks petrified. I’m not scared of flying. I’m scared of sharks, hurricanes, and false imprisonment. I’m scared that I will never do anything of value with my life. But I’m not scared of flying. Her knuckles are white with tension. I tuck the magazine back into the pouch. “Not much of a flier?” I ask her. When I’m anxious, talking helps. If talking helps her, it’s the least I can do. The woman turns and looks at me as we glide into the air. “Fraid not,” she says, smiling ruefully. “I don’t leave New York very often. This is my first time flying to Los Angeles.” “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I fly a fair amount, and I can tell you, with any flight, it’s really only takeoff and landing that are hard. We’ve got about three more minutes of this part and then about five minutes at the end that can be tough. The rest of it . . . you might as well be on a bus. So just eight bad minutes total, and then you’re in California.” We’re at an incline. It’s steep enough that an errant bottle of water rolls down the aisle. “Eight minutes is all?” she asks. I nod. “That’s it,” I tell her. “You’re from New York?” She nods. “How about you?” I shrug. “I was living in New York. Now I’m moving back to L.A.” The plane drops abruptly and then rights itself as we make our way past the clouds. She breathes in deeply. I have to admit, even I feel a little queasy. ## Books with a similar feel - [Infinite Country by Patricia Engel](https://uncovered.ink/read/infinite-country-patricia-engel.md) - [On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan](https://uncovered.ink/read/on-chesil-beach-ian-mcewan.md) - [Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones](https://uncovered.ink/read/silver-sparrow-tayari-jones.md) - [F. Scott Fitzgerald by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://uncovered.ink/read/f-scott-fitzgerald-f-scott-fitzgerald.md) - [The Story Prize by Larry Dark](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-story-prize-larry-dark.md) - [The Best American Short Stories 2021 by Jesmyn Ward](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-best-american-short-stories-2021-jesmyn-ward.md) --- Source: Uncovered (https://uncovered.ink). A short sample shown for reading and discovery. Rights holders can request removal at https://uncovered.ink/takedown.