“Wait. What about Scott and Jessie? We didn’t say good-bye.”
“Trust me. Scott’s not gonna care.”
I walked us to the elevator, and we stood next to an older couple. I glanced over and smiled at them as they smiled at me.
“You look beautiful, my dear…just like a princess,” the gentleman said to Heather.
Heather’s head snapped over, and she looked at him.
The lady chuckled. “You do look lovely, darling. Enjoy this evening out. I know it can be hard when you’re away from your children. The key to a happy family is a happy husband and wife.”
“What did you say?” Heather whispered as her body began to shake.
I took a step closer to her. She was holding her breath like she always did when she got nervous or scared.
“Breathe, Princess, breathe,” I said.
/> She sucked in a shaky breath, and a small sob escaped her mouth.
The lady tilted her head. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Heather shook her head and attempted to smile. “No, it’s okay. It’s just that…my mother used to say that all the time, and…well…my parents passed away during my senior year of high school.”
They both smiled warmly at Heather. “My dear, I’m so sorry, but you have to know your parents never really left you. They’ve been here, watching over you, the whole time.”
Heather wiped a tear away and nodded her head. “Yes, I know. I feel them often.”
I glanced down and noticed the man was holding a baseball cap in his hand. It had a buck on it. I quickly looked at Heather to see if she had seen the hat. The elevator door opened, and we all stepped inside.
I moved our key card in front of the pad and pushed the top floor. “Which floor?”
The gentleman said, “We’re going all the way up, son.”
I smiled and nodded my head. “The suites here are amazing, aren’t they?” I asked.
He grinned back at me from ear to ear. “I’ve been in a far better one, that is for sure.”
As the doors shut, the lady took Heather’s hand in hers. “Now, I can read people very well. From you, my dear, I can tell you are a wonderful mother. Stop being so hard on yourself. There is no manual to tell you how to raise your kids. Your children know you love them. And by the way your husband gazes at you so lovingly, I can tell that you are very loved by him. Let him take care of you and love you.”
Heather looked stunned. She slowly nodded her head.
The elevator doors opened, and the couple stepped off.
The gentleman turned and looked at us as we stepped out of the elevator. “Smile big and love even bigger.”
Heather and I both let out a chuckle.
“Thank you,” Heather said.
The couple said good-bye and began walking down the hallway, holding hands.
But I noticed the gentleman wasn’t carrying his baseball cap anymore. I quickly looked into the elevator before the doors shut, and I scanned the floor. “Where did the baseball cap go, the one he was holding?”
Heather looked at me. “He wasn’t holding a baseball cap.”
I looked back at them before they turned the corner. “Yes, he was. I wanted to point it out to you because it had a buck on it.”
Heather slowly shook her head. “No, he didn’t because—”