He sat with his wife’s photo, waiting for a son who had already boarded without him

if I was polluting the space just by standing in it.

I explained everything again, keeping my voice steady, and offered the confirmation email. Patricia didn’t even look at it. Instead, she crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side.

“Ma’am, are you sure you can afford our rooms? Our standard rooms start at eight hundred dollars per night. Perhaps continue reading …