Page 4 of Koda's Love

“I don’t need no damn test. I’m perfectly fine. And Chester might not be my child, or even a four-legged animal, but he’s still mine and my responsibility.” I thought about getting a dog or cat after Miles passed, but my schedule was pretty busy, so I wouldn’t have time for it. I knew a cat would be easier than a dog, but I would have to spend time with it until it got acclimated to me. I just didn’t have the time. As an event planner, I was busy all year long. The spring and summer were my busiest times with a lot of events, but the cooler months could be just as hectic.

“Yeah, yeah. You know I’ll come make sure he’s not floating at the top of the bowl.”

She fell back laughing when I threw a pair of socks at her.

“Let me just ask my dad.” I sucked my teeth.

“I got you, girl.” She laughed some more.

“You really get on my nerves sometimes,” I told her as I zipped my other bag.

I had already packed my toiletries the night before. Every time I traveled, I purchased all new travel toiletries. The only thing that wasn’t new was my clothes and suitcases.

“You love me though.” She put both of her hands under her chin and smiled innocently.

“I do, but still.”

Diamond drove me crazy sometimes, but she always had my best interest at heart. She was funny as hell, and anytime we hung out, I would be in stitches. She had been there for me after every heartbreak and win. The day I found Miles in our bathroom not breathing, Diamond came right over and helped me through everything. She even stayed with me for two weeks after the funeral, until I felt better being alone. I had been the same for her. She truly was my person.

Diamond stood, then hugged me.

“I love you, Avalon, and I just want you to get some peace and rest this weekend. I got Chester covered.” She smirked, then kissed my cheek.

“I love you too, and I truly do appreciate you.” We released each other, and Diamond helped me take my bags to my vehicle.

After we had the bags loaded, we stood outside of my truck. I made sure I filled my gas tank the night before and checked my tire pressure. Both were unnecessary because I was only thirty minutes away from my location.

“Welp, I’m going to go so I can check in. You know I have to do my routine.”

“We know,” Diamond said as she rolled her eyes.

We hugged each other one more time, and she got in her car as I got in mine. Both of us pulled away at the same time. She went in one direction, and I went to the other.

It took me forty-five minutes to get to the Bishop because I decided to stop for some snacks at the last minute. Every night, I liked to have apples and peanut butter before bed. When I traveled, I got pre-sliced apples, and peanut butter to-go cups. At home, I just cut up the apples and dipped them in a jar of peanut butter.

Once I checked in, I took the elevator up to my room. As soon as I opened the door, the scent of lavender filled my nostrils. I placed my bags down, then walked to the window. I opened the curtains and opened the window. Having the ability to open the windows was one of the things I loved about the Bishop. Plus, I loved it because it was near the beach, and I made sure every room I got faced it.

Miles and I went on our first date at the hotel’s restaurant and spent our time there for our anniversary every year afterward. This weekend was about honoring Miles’s life. I had planned to sit out on the beach, do some journaling and resetting. I had a few small events within the upcoming weeks, so I needed to rest before I hit the ground running.

After breathing in the beach air for a second, I proceeded to do my hotel routine. It didn’t matter where I went; I cleaned the room and put my own sheets on the bed. I knew the Bishop was well maintained, but I still needed to reclean everything.

It took me about twenty minutes to fully clean and sanitize the room. Once the disinfectant spray dried, I layered two of the dresser drawers with towels and put my clothes inside of them. It used to drive Miles crazy that I had to do so much when we traveled, but I liked things to be clean and organized. It helped him, though, because he never had to search for clothes in his bags or his toiletries. Everything had a place.

I put the sheets on the bed, then went over to the table and chair. For a few minutes, I wrote in my journal about how I had felt throughout the day and how I expected to feel by the timeI left the hotel. I also added a few manifestations. I made sure to journal at least once a day. Depending on my emotions, I did two.

When I was done, I went down to the restaurant to have dinner. The food there was so good, and I couldn’t wait to eat it.

“I sawyour girl yesterday smiling all in some corny looking nigga face.”

“My girl who?” I questioned as I leaned forward and placed my arms on my desk.

Jacoby laughed. “Tamika.”

“Get the fuck out of here. She ain’t my girl, and I cut shit off with her anyway.”

“What happened?”

I was on the phone with my best friend, Jacoby, just shooting the shit. We hadn’t had a chance to catch up in a few days, so I told him about the situation with Tamika the last time I was at her house. She’d been blowing my phone up since then, but I had nothing for her. I ended up having to block her. Obviously, shewasn’t too concerned about me cutting her off if she was already smiling in the next man’s face. Hopefully, he stuck around so she could leave me alone. Blocked or not, I had a feeling she would pop up on my ass one of these days. It wasn’t like I was hard to find. I lived and worked in the hotel, so unless I was with my family, I was at the hotel.