LEILA'S POV
I rearranged the groceries in the cupboards, though they did not need rearranging. Then I polished all the surfaces in the kitchen until they shone. Leaving dinner on fire, I went into the living room with a rag in my hand. I stood there, looking around, searching for any speck of dust or dirt. There was none, of course. This afternoon, I had gone over the house from top to bottom, waxing, cleaning, polishing washing every surface. I made my way back to the kitchen and soon finished preparing dinner. I glanced at the clock and groaned. All this activity and it was just a few minutes to seven p.m.
"I can't keep living like this," I muttered to myself. "I just can't."
From outside, I could hear the sound of people returning from their activities for the day. Even Ruelle had b
