Before boarding the plane, she took a deep breath and forced a fake smile. She had told herself that if she kept pretending to be happy, eventually her body would believe it too.
So she briskly stowed away luggage and inspected overhead compartments, comfortably slipping into her familiar routine. Her colleagues chatted animatedly around her, eagerly discussing their weekend plans post-landing. She attempted to soak in their enthusiasm, hoping it would quell the uneasy feeling rumbling in her stomach.
