Their demanding clatter was so loud that they pierced Kari’s sleep-fogged brain, even through the nearly closed window, and roused her to semi-consciousness before her alarm ever went off. Sleepily, she raised an arm in the direction of the clock, then realized that what had awakened her was not the cheery electronic rooster.The rooster clock had been a gift from Lylah. “Another customer was messing around with it,” she’d explained, “and when I heard it crow just like the real thing, I turned around to see where the rooster was. It was a hoot.” Lylah was a hoot herself, an irrepressible woman with a wild sense of humor. Kari and Lylah had been friends since high school, though lately Lylah’s time seemed too often claimed by other interests...most notably, her pregnancy. As Kari lay listening to the pelting raindrops, she felt an irrational pang of jealousy toward the baby. Not even born yet, and already it was taking up so much of Lylah’s attention.A more subtle drip than the noise of the rain on the lawn furniture caught Kari’s attention.
