Two yards away, a young bellhop in a tailored uniform stood with his back to them, his thumb moving rapidly across the screen of a black smartphone.
He did not look up when the elderly woman cleared her throat or when the man shifted his weight with a soft grunt of pain.
Clara stopped near a large decorative urn, watching the bellhop fingers slide across the screen.
She waited to see if he would pocket the device, but he merely turned his shoulder slightly to block the couple from his line of sight.
The grand lobby, which Clara had envisioned as a sanctuary of hospitality, felt suddenly vast and indifferent.
She pressed Lily closer to her shoulder, the child boots dangling against Clara hip.
The plush rabbit slipped slightly, its single ear sliding through Lily fingers, but Clara caught it before it hit the floor.
