The suit bloke hesitated, still visibly annoyed, but the unexpected support from the bearded man seemed to deflate his anger a bit. He grumbled something under his breath, but eventually nodded, accepting the offer. The bearded gentleman turned to me, offering a warm, reassuring smile.

“You’re doing great,” he said gently. “Don’t let it get to you. We’ve all been there or will be at some point.”

I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude, and a few other passengers nearby nodded in solidarity, murmuring words of encouragement. The flight attendant, who had been observing the interaction, smiled and handed the man in the suit a pair of complimentary headphones. The suit guy reluctantly put them on, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes, seemingly calming down a bit.