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How could she even think of all that while she struggled to keep the bed and breakfast running? As she closed out of all of her tabs, her heart sank. There would be time for this some other day when she didn't have to worry about doing all of this work.
April continued to prep, getting the local breakfast items on nice plates and into the fridge.
She listened to her father whistle as he worked on his meal. It was nice until she walked into the lobby and found his bags scattered across the floor.
Unease lingered in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't help but wonder if she had made a mistake in allowing her father to stay with her.
April gathered the bags and brought them to the room beside hers. It took a while to get the room ready, considering its size. It was one of the largest rooms in the house, only beaten by her owner's suite.
The bed was made with warm white sheets fresh from the dryer. She scooped up his pillows and replaced their covers with a matching set of white.
It was only by dinner time that she'd finished cleaning and making up his room. And she still had three rooms left to prepare and clean.
There would only be enough time for a quick bite to eat before getting back to the workload. April was coming to realize that this might be too much work for just one person. If she had Georgia here to help her, they would have gotten things done twice as fast.
Though of course her daughter was following her own dreams and finishing her college degree. Meanwhile, April was watching her father, taking care of him in the place she'd built. Maybe someday Georgia would help her out.
April only finished two of the three rooms before she called it quits. The other room would have to be completed before the final guest arrived.
Richard was just getting settled in for the night when April got to his room. He sat on the edge of the bed, eagerly welcoming her arrival. His bags lay discarded on the floor, and he had a soft smile on his face.
"Hey there," he said softly, patting the bed as if sizing it up. "I was just about to get ready for bed."
April nodded as she made her way towards him. She saw concern in his eyes as he looked around at his room, almost as if searching for something he had forgotten or overlooked.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Uh, I was just wondering... No, it's too much to ask. Sorry," he replied, shrugging it off.
It was clear something was bothering him. "No, dad, what's up?"
"It's just the pillows... They're a little light. I was wondering if you had any that were more firm."
She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she plastered a smile across her face. "Of course. Let me go look."
April made her way to the linen closet, her mind racing with thoughts. As she rummaged through the shelves, she couldn't help but let out a deep sigh. All of her pillows looked the same. None were better than the others.
Would she have to do this after all of the long days she worked? The amount of work that went into running the bed and breakfast was no small feat. She hoped her father understood that.
Finally, she found a pillow that she thought might be suitable for him. She made her way back to his room, trying to put on a smile. "Here ya go, dad. How's this one?"
Richard stood in the corner of the room, next to the bathroom door. He smiled and took the pillow from her, working it in his hands. "Oh, much better."
April turned to leave the room, happy that she finally satisfied him. But then she heard a small, "Hmm."
Her feet stopped moving towards the door. She knew she had a decision to make. Did she keep walking or turn around and take care of his newest request?
Ultimately, against her better judgment, she turned to look at her father. "What's up, now, dad?" Her shoulders slumped as she waited for his response. He held a towel in his hand, massaging it with his fingers.
"It's just, these towels. Any chance you have other ones? These are kind of... scratchy."
Scratchy? Was that even a word? It definitely wasn't a word to describe her new bed and breakfast towels she'd spent so long researching. They were supposed to be top-of-the-line, some of the best brands in the business. She knew they weren't anything less than perfect.
But it was her father coming back to spend time with her. What could she say? "Of course," she replied again, this time less enthusiastically.
April made her way back to the linen closet, feeling a sense of defeat. She couldn't help but wonder if her father was intentionally making things difficult for her.
Trying to banish the thought, she shook her head,. No, that wasn't fair. He was just an old man who was used to a certain level of comfort.
