Rona got home from work in the early evening to find that Miranda had cleaned out most of the room. It was a habit she had which aggravated Rona deeply, all the more because Rona couldn't really complain about it: it wouldn't do any good to say that she could have helped out, if only she'd been there to be able to do so. It was always the way: Miranda waiting for Rona to leave the house (so it seemed to Rona), and then taking it upon herself to do the cleaning. In Miranda's subsequent silence Rona could hear a thousand self-righteous justifications. Rona couldn't wait for Eric to move in: it was becoming vital that he do so.

Rona stood looking into the room with some awe. She hadn't seen it so clean for along time.

"It was basically all rubbish, right?" Miranda said. Close to half of the stuff she'd thrown out belonged to Rona.

"Yeah, yeah, sure" Rona said.

"So you don't mind me chucking it out?"

"No, it's fine" Rona assured her. It just wasn't worth the effort trying to explain to Miranda how she felt.

"Good" Miranda said. She couldn't help adding: "I thought so", and Roan couldn't help hearing a slightly smug tone in her voice. "So the carpet needs vacuuming, I think."

"I'll do that" Rona said quickly, before Miranda could take that upon herself, too.

"With what vacuum cleaner?" Miranda pointed out.

"Oh."

"Go next door" Miranda said. "One of the neighbours will have one."

Rona wondered if Miranda had checked all this out beforehand. "Good idea" she said, because she knew that was what Miranda wanted to hear. "When are you due at work, again?"