I lay with my eyes closed, not yet ready to face the world or whoever was outside on the front steps. The chime sounded again and then someone decided to try the old-fashioned version of asking for admittance, pounding on the door with a fist. I groaned and pushed the blankets back, my tolerance for banging sounds at an all time low. Daylight streamed between the blinds and the room seemed stuffy when I slipped out of bed and hit the floor with a soft thud, twisting my ankle. “Ouch!” I limped through the house, favoring my right leg, as the doorbell sounded once again. “All right already!” The steps were unoccupied when I yanked open the door and squinted into the bright sun. I looked around, expelled an exasperated breath, and finally pushed the door closed hard enough to make the pane of glass rattle. I stood there for a minute, wondering if I was going crazy, when the sound of knocking started on the back door. By the time I limped to the kitchen and unlocked the door my uninvited guest was already running across the flagstones toward the tire swing.
