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Overall, it looks pleasing and homey. A sense of relief fills me that Zach’s apartment is a little different from the rest of the hotel.
I jerk back when the elevator pings and I notice the manager has left. With trembling steps, I approach the door and William opens it.
My heart clenches when I’m immediately hit by familiar barks of Mr. Stanley and the faint sound of Ray’s voice.
Oh, my baby boy!
I don’t know how he’s settling so well in this foreign surrounding when I feel completely out of place in just a handful of minutes.
“Welcome, Ms. Davis.” William smiles with the same kindness in his eyes that was there when I first met him.
“Thank you so much for taking care of Ray.”
I hug him, and after a moment of surprise, he lightly pats my back. “You don’t have to thank me, Ms. Davis. It was my pleasure to accompany Master Ray. He is a wonderful young boy.”
“Please call me Hope.” I take a step back.
“As you say. I have your dinner ready. I’m sure you are exhausted.”
He leads me into a giant, beautifully decorated living room. I give a quick glance to everything which looks like it was plucked out of a home décor magazine before asking, “Can I first check on Ray?”
“Of course. He’s that way.”
I follow the direction.
“Ma!” My son runs into my arms, getting up from the kids’ desk and chair set where he’s writing something. I crush him close to my chest. My racing heartbeat settles for the first time since I stepped into this palatial hotel.
Mr. Stanley barks before whimpering from his new dog bed.
“How are you doing?” My hands roam all over Ray’s head, face, shoulders, confirming that he’s alright. “Are you scared here?” I ask carefully, noticing that my son doesn’t look as anxious as I feel inside.
“No, Ma. Why would I be scared? See, Prince got me a new desk and chair. He said I should have the right size things.” My son flops in his chair before resting his hands on the table.
I look around at the new furniture, the T-Rex table lamp, spaceship-shaped alarm clock, and the numerous posters on the wall.
“You like it here?” I ask Ray, a little surprised by his excitement. I thought now without Zach here he might be feeling homesick.
He nods. “Grandpa Will made me pasta and I ate beans too.” A proud smile appears on his face.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard him calling WilliamGrandpa. “You ate beans?”
“Yes, because they were magic beans, Ma.”
“What else did you do?”
Ray’s eyes shine with excitement and his smile does not waver for a second as he tells me how he and Zach unpacked and put his clothes in the new dresser. But Grandpa Will told them it was the wrong way and re-organized everything.
He opens the closet, which apparently Zach had delivered in less than an hour including the rest of the furniture in this room.
My eyes widen at the sight of possibly everything that my son owns.
Before I even get a chance to think about how I feel about all my son’s belongings in Zach’s house, Ray shows me the new stationary they bought while shopping for the necessary school stuff that he was missing. It, of course, entails all the unnecessary items like superhero erasers and magic glow pencils.
I finally put him to bed and pull the blankets over him before I start reading him his new bookThe Princess and The Last Dragonunder the faint nightlight. With each page turn, my heartbeat slows down. I look down at Ray who shuts his eyes. The stress of the day loosens as I realize my boy is safe and my mom is getting the best care she can.
“Hope.”I hear someone’s voice, but my eyes won’t open. “Get up, dear.”
“Mom.” I get up with a jerk, looking around.
