The party was done; the cake was eaten, presents were opened, and the guests were gone. Abby had crashed and was in bed, Barry had gone up to his room to shower and Heather was nowhere to be found. Becky wiped the kitchen over and stacked the last of the dishes into the dishwasher, closing the door and pressing the ‘on’ button. It was dark outside and she was exhausted. The party had been wonderful, apart from a couple of hiccups that could all be laid at the feet of Heather, and Abby had enjoyed herself.

A whining and scratching at the laundry door reminded her they still hadn’t worked...