Saturday morning started out quietly—one of those rare, peaceful moments where the world slows down just long enough for you to breathe. I was folding laundry, sipping coffee from my favorite chipped mug, and daydreaming about maybe, just maybe, sneaking in a nap.
Then Alex walked in.
He entered the room with a certain confidence—phone in hand and a familiar, overly pleased smile on his face. “Hey, honey,” he said, casually. “My family’s coming over today. Just a small get-together. You’ve got about four hours.”
I blinked. “Four hours?”
He nodded like it was no big deal. “Yeah, just Mom, Dad, my sister, and her kids. Could you tidy up, grab a few things from the store, and cook something nice? Maybe even a dessert?” Then, with a look of accomplishment, he handed me a piece of paper.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“A checklist,” he replied, like he was doing me a favor.
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