I feel awkward about sharing with you an experience I had on an airplane last year — and I hope to God that I don’t cause you further offense. I was seated next to a woman that I’m sure the airlines would consider a “passenger of size.” She remained silent throughout the flight, so I did too, hoping all the while that my silence wasn’t misinterpreted as disapproval but also not wanting to make the assumption that she required any kind of reassurance from me. When we hit some turbulence, followed by a rough landing, she and I continued our silence, but I found the gentle pressure of her body against mine to be deeply comforting: a quiet dismantling of the chilly, careful separation among individuals that, in times of stress, fails us. I couldn’t find a way to tell her so without sounding weird and. I have no idea what she thought of sitting next to me. But I was grateful to her.