Already she had finished most of the cleaning, but the assignment still sat there. The topic was unread and it was due in only two days. This was the one chance that she could make-up for all the rest of the slacking off. Still, she could not unfold it. She dreaded what it held. What would be expected of her.
She looked out the window. There were a lot of spots on the windows. She grabbed the ladder, some newspaper and vinegar.
When he came home two hours later, he looked at the state of the place. He didn’t need to go to the computer desk to see the assignment sheet, still folded, sitting underneath the edge of the keyboard. He couldn’t figure out what she wanted – to be touched, to be left alone, to talk, to cry, to laugh. He flicked on the television and turned up the volume.