Is that you?” I hear the familiar voice as I I’m walking through the hotel reception area after stopping by my father’s suite to check on the old man. He’s doing as well as can be expected, which means not very well at all. But he was alert and as responsive as possible when I was talking to him, so that’s something. And if I took advantage of the fact that he can’t speak well enough to tell me how much I’m fucking up his legacy, well then, that’s a karmic black mark that I’m more than willing to pay for later. I almost don’t stop to check who’s calling to me, because all in all it’s been a shit day so far and I’m exhausted. Plus, I’m worried about Aria. I haven’t heard from her since she hung up on me this morning and I’m not happy. Not happy that she hasn’t called back. Even less happy that she hasn’t answered any of the three texts I’ve sent her since then. And I’m definitely not happy about the fact that I’m still thinking about her two hours later, when a million other things need my attention.
