The journey was a blurry map of crammed subway cars and freezing wind. Serena carried Lily most of the way; her shoulders ached from the weight of the pineapple and a heavy backpack full of coloring books, an iPad with exactly 50% battery , boots, and a toy. When they finally reached the Grande’s enormous glass facade, Serena avoided the main revolving doors and went down the alley to the service entrance.
His hands trembled as he swiped his card. The light turned green.
Step 1: Completed.
The “belly” of the luxury hotel was a labyrinth of concrete corridors, fluorescent lights, and staff running this way and that. Serena almost ran to the laundry room on the fourth floor: a large closet with windows, filled with towering shelves of fine sheets, industrial detergents, and extra uniforms. Hardly anyone went in there in the morning.
Serepa built a sort of makeshift fort with three fluffy quilts and a pile of pillows in the darkest corner, behind the shelves. She put Lily inside, gave her the iPad and the game.
