Radio to the heart

The hotels future 

The soft hum of life surrounded me as I sat cross-legged on the bed, my laptop perched precariously on my thighs. My fingers danced over the keyboard, and the words for Fatal Attraction flowed out slowly, deliberately. The occasional muffled voices from the room next door broke the quiet. Mikayla and Alex were at it again, their usual chatter now flavored with the bittersweetness of packing and goodbyes. I smiled faintly, hearing Mikayla bark out orders in her usual commanding tone.

"Alex, get everything ready!" her voice carried through the thin walls.

"I've got it!" Alex shot back, his tone a mix of exasperation and amusement.

I paused, my fingers hovering above the keys. Their words made my chest swell with a strange mix of excitement and sadness. This was the end of one chapter, and the beginning of another. Soon, we'd be gone from this crimson-streaked hotel and onto something new, together.

My cane rested against the nightstand, a quiet reminder of the independence I fought to keep. Charlie had made sure I could move about the halls with ease, and I'd taken full advantage of it. Running, pacing, using my stepper during the day—it felt good, freeing even. But now, the stillness of writing called to me. I had to finish this scene, had to capture the perfect moment for my book.

Inspiration struck. I minimized my draft and pulled up Alex's photo—the one where he wore his Giver mask. The ominous, haunting quality of it was perfect for the cover. I smiled, satisfied, before pulling my focus back to the words.

The faint strains of Mikayla and Alex's conversation filtered through again.

"I can't believe we're leaving," Mikayla said, her voice quieter this time, tinged with wistfulness.

"I know," Alex replied. "Tess and Alistair are going to come with us. We're going to find our own home."

"We'll all be together as a family," she said.

I sat back for a moment, letting their words settle over me. Family. That's what we were now—an unusual, beautiful, chaotic family. A grin tugged at the corners of my mouth as I leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

"Google," I said suddenly, breaking the silence in my own room. "Play some music that I love. Let's get some dark themes in here. I want to feel a little bit of an angsty vibe."

The device chirped obediently before the opening notes of a dark, brooding melody spilled into the room. Perfect.

My gaze drifted to the door as I thought about Alistair. He was off somewhere with Charlie, no doubt talking about the future of the hotel. He'd been busy all day, running around, finalizing details, and preparing her for the inevitable handoff. Charlie had to know we weren't staying forever, and this was Alistair's way of easing the transition.

I tapped my fingers on the edge of the laptop, unable to help myself from wondering how their conversation was going. How would she take the news? Would she be sad, angry, or relieved? I could almost picture Alistair's calm demeanor, his patient voice as he explained everything to her. He was good at that—good at keeping people steady, even when the world around them was shifting.

The music swelled, filling the room, but my thoughts kept circling back to Alistair and Charlie. Would she be ready for this? Would we be ready for the next chapter?

For now, all I could do was wait. And write.

Hours slipped by as my fingers flew over the keyboard. The music from earlier had faded into silence, leaving me with only the soft hum of my thoughts and the rhythmic clicking of keys. Yet, a nagging worry gnawed at me. Alistair had been gone for a while now, and I hadn't heard a single peep from him.