She showered quickly, dressed in the uniform that hung on the closet door, folded the apron and cap, and put them into one of the oversized pockets. Next, she awakened the children, and they groused and fumbled around in their dressers for school clothes while she grabbed a quick cup of coffee and nibbled toast as she made lunches for them. A hurried fifteen minutes later, she ushered them next door to Rose’s, thankful she didn’t have to drive them across town or feed them breakfast. Rose was being wonderful about helping her. Then at last Anna was in the car, turning toward downtown. She drove down her street, passing the large, elegant homes in the exclusive neighborhood. She knew her family would soon be moving from their dream home. The payments and taxes were too high to maintain for long, even with the insurance money to supplement her income. She and Mike should never have waited thirteen years to have exactly the right house, especially one that was almost a showplace.
