The message arrived while I was smiling at a tired family from St. L0uis.
That is the part I remember most clearly. Not the chill that ran through my fingers, not the pressure tightening in my chest, but the smile. In hospitality, you learn to become whatever the moment demands: calm, friendly, patient, dependable. Whatever storm is happening inside you does not matter to the person standing at the desk.
I was working the front desk at the Ashford Grand in downtown Charlotte when my phone buzzed beside the computer.*
Vanessa.
