The news that she was “dropping by” tomorrow used to send them into a tailspin: insecurity-driven panic manifesting in a tidying spree and passive-aggressive blaming. She wasn’t a bad person and they did love her. It was just that she was very… particular and had a way of entering a room… She didn’t need to run her fingers over the surfaces. The judgement was there. They imagined the scene at home the instant the message came through: the dust drones delicately sweeping the mantelpiece, the eBook shelves reordering, the fridge changing its order. They could afford to stay for another.