“Truly,” I had said as I pulled him into another hug.
After that, we explored the house together, and with every small smile and excited gasp that escaped him, I felt some of the weight inside my chest begin to lift.
“It’s just like our old home,” he had said thoughtfully. “Except now we have stairs and levels.”
I had laughed softly and held him close. “I love you, Lucas. Always remember that.”
“I love you too, Mama.”
“Let’s go meet the neighbours,” I had said.
Hand in hand, we stepped outside together, carrying a tray of goodies.
Now, as I watched him smile in front of me, I gently combed his hair and packed his backpack, grateful for how well he had adjusted to our new life. There had been nights when I lay awake, terrified the move would break something in him, that he would grow distant or resentful and never forgive me for taking him away from everything he had known. But children were resilient in ways adults often were not.
He had quickly found comfort in the neighbourhood children who attended the same school, and knowing he could stay with them until I returned from work made the transition easier for both of us.
I filled Oreo’s bowl with fresh food and water while he circled happily around my legs. Lucas knelt beside him, scratching behind his ears as Oreo’s tail wagged furiously against the kitchen cabinets.
“Be good, okay?” Lucas whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Oreo’s head.
I smiled softly and crouched beside them, scratching Oreo behind the ears before kissing his forehead too. “We’ll be back later, buddy.”
After dropping Lucas off at school, I headed to the hotel. I parked my car in the staff parking lot and walked through thestaff entrance, grateful that I did not have to decide what to wear every day.
Standing in the locker room, I caught my reflection in the mirror and wished the uniform looked better on me as I adjusted the ill-fitting white shirt and red waistcoat. The fabric pulled awkwardly in places, and no amount of tugging seemed to make it sit right. I sighed softly and tied my hair back, studying the exhaustion in my face for a moment longer than I intended.
Another day, another dollar.
The thought moved through my mind with a dull kind of resignation. This was not the life I had once imagined for myself, but it was the life I had now. And for the sake of my children, I had to keep showing up for it.
“Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Ryerson,”I said with a practiced smile. “It’s so good to have you back with us.” I handed them their keys. “Executive Lounge access is open all day, and we will be serving afternoon tea and snacks shortly.”
Checking guests in and out and answering the phones quickly became monotonous.
“Yes, Mr. Stanilov,” I said while picking up the phone. “How can I help you?” After listening to his request, I replied, “No problem, I’ll send the shaving kit up right away.”
Nothing exciting ever happened at this hotel. It was nothing like the Lexington, where drama unfolded almost every day and kept me constantly on my toes. The responsibilities and energy of that job had been completely different from the routine here. At the Lexington, every shift felt alive. There had always been something to solve, someone to assist, some crisis brewing beneath the polished surface.
I had thrived in that chaos.
I had earned respect there.
I had mattered there.
Here, everything felt smaller… safer… quieter.
“Jiya,” the front office manager said.
I looked up at him.
“I need you to make sure the washrooms are clean.”
“But the housekeepers are supposed to take care of that,” I replied carefully.
“Well, they are not doing a good job, so you need to make sure it’s done,” the balding man in his late forties insisted. “Along with the trash in the bins.”
Desperate to keep the job, I did exactly what I was told. Even though I had some savings, I needed the paycheck, the structure, and the reassurance that I could still stand on my own two feet, no matter how far I had fallen from the life I once had.
