Bessie looks sadly at the hand-scribbled note taped to the front door of the familiar cottage: “Gone for reincarnation. Make yourselves at home. Back soon, love, the former Millie and Will Dodd”. The cat rubs against her leg, stretching up a paw.
Ash tries the door. It’s unlocked. Inside the living room, everything is too neat, spotless, in fact. Bessie wanders about, peeping into the kitchen, the bathroom, the main bedroom, and finally, the spare bedroom.
“She’s scrubbed up this entire place,” Bessie grumbles. Gazing around, she spots a new quilt in soft mauves and yellows, filmy matching curtains, and a small rag rug lovingly hand-sewn from her grandmother’s old drapes. Freshly picked wildflowers fill a small vase on an Irish lace doily draped over the bedside table. “She’s expecting s
