Story number 4

It was one in the afternoon, and I was working on painting my house. It was the weekend, so I didn’t have to go to work in the traditional sense. Even though I should be relaxing, I had to get my house ready for my extended family showed up on my doorstep in just a few hours. They were coming to celebrate my birthday, even if it was a month late. My family was scattered all over the United States, so finding a date to get together was challenging.

We tended to just lump all the celebration dates into one big yearly bash. Technically we were celebrating my parents' anniversary, my sister Brucine’s wedding.

She couldn’t have found such a perfect man to fit her disposition.  Still, her husband wouldn’t be here, as he was overseas. We were also celebrating my brother Tommy finding a job.

It was my year to host the party, and I wasn’t about to let my family see the dump I was living in. It was a two-story house with a leaky roof, chipped blue paint covering most of the house, and doors that were about to fall apart at the hinges.

At least I had rows upon rows of pine trees to hide my home from the road. The inside, while a bit better kept, only hid similar wear and tear. I was putting my savings in for a new home instead of trying to save this place.

I knew I couldn’t get the whole house painted in time before my relatives arrived. My hope was I was able to get the front of the home done and keep them out of the back and side yard. That way, I didn’t have to hear my sister or mother give some back-handed comments.

I wiped the sweat from my brow. I did wish that my family had given me more notice.

My parents had called me two days ago telling me to get everything ready. Apparently, everyone else knew a week ago, and Brucine was supposed to be the one who told me.  Of course, I never found out about this.

I was frustrated because I had initially planned to spend the day with my boyfriend, Matt. Now those plans were dashed as I wasn’t ready for him to meet my crazy family. I didn’t want to scare him off with my mother asking if he would get me pregnant so she could have more grandkids.

I took a few steps back to admire my work, the white paint almost blinding in the sunlight. I shielded my eyes.  Well, that seems to be better. At least I can’t see the cracks this way.

I headed inside into the kitchen. Lying on the counter were a few cases of soda and a wine container for my parents. Mainly for my mother to keep her from asking about why I wasn’t married yet.

As I moved into the next room, I had a multimedia station set up. I enjoyed gaming, but I had things laid out for my nephews. I made sure to keep anything that Brucine thought too violent out of reach, as well. She was a bit too overprotective of her son Alex.

Everything looked in order. I headed back to the kitchen to put the roast in the oven. I pulled it free of the fridge and set the meat onto the table. I had managed to buy the last piece of meat before the store closed yesterday. It was a bit small for a family gathering, but it was going to have to do.

I put the meat onto a tray and then slid it into the oven. It was already preheated. I then set the timer for three hours from now. Once that was finished, I took in a deep breath of stale air, blinking my tired eyes.  I need a nap before company arrives, or I won’t have the energy to deal with my sister.

I walked back into the living room and slumped down onto the couch, letting my legs hang off the armrest. I grabbed a timer off the oak coffee table and set it for an hour.  I want to get up so I can try and finish painting the house. Maybe get the back of the house done so we can use the backyard.

Once that was set, I dozed off.

***

I woke up to a blaring alarm, but it wasn’t on the coffee table. This one was coming from the kitchen. I tried to twist into a sitting position, only to fall flat onto the floor. I managed to knock over the table with my arms in the process. “Oouff.”

Standing, I picked up the oaken annoyance and set the alarm on top of it. To my distress, I had forgotten to start it.  Then that means.

I rushed into the kitchen. There I found the source of the beeping. I turned the oven off and opened it up, only to be greeted by a heat blast. I had to step back to avoid being singed. I looked down at the roast. The meat appeared dark and burned.  Great. Just great.

Grabbing a glove, I carefully pulled the pan out of the oven and set it on the table. I found some tin foil to cover the meat to cool it, plus hide the fact I had screwed up dinner.

And just in time as I heard a knock at the door.

I twisted around. “One second.” I shut the oven door and headed to the door. When I opened it, I was greeted by my brother, Tommy, his wife Greta, and their two kids Daniel and Tommy Junior, both ten years old, who rushed into the house.

My brother called after them. “Behave yourselves.” He sighed. “Hello, Sarah.

I can see you were trying some remodeling.”

I forgot to put the paint supplies away.  “Ah, yes. Come in.”

He nodded his head before taking off his camouflage hunting cap revealing auburn hair. “It has been a long drive down from Maine.”

Greta stared at him with her green eyes. “We would have been here sooner if someone didn’t stop to use the restroom five minutes before we got here.”

Tommy looked at me defensively. “I had to. I had been holding it since Ohio.”

Greta walked past us into the living room.

“Junior. Put that down. This isn’t your home.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, it is good to see you.”

Tommy laughed. “Really? It seems like you weren’t expecting us, Sarah.”

“Truth be told, I have been working my tail off trying to get this together. Brucine told me about this at the last minute.”

He laughed. “Ya, she is like that. Anything to make us look bad. I can help get things set up before mom, dad, and sis arrives.” He pointed at my chest. “You might want to change into something that doesn’t have paint on it.”

I looked down at my clothes. My blue and red shirt was covered with white splotches of dried paint. “Thank you, Tommy.”

As I turned around and headed for the stairwell to my bedroom upstairs, I could hear Greta arguing with her kids in the living room.

“Get off of there! You are going to break the table.”

I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted kids, and hearing Greta argue with her kids now didn’t help. My mother sure did, though. She expected me to be wed and give her grandkids before I turned thirty. I was twenty-five and didn’t see myself settling down any time soon. Sure, I was dating Matt, but I wasn’t ready to take it to the next level any time soon.

I wanted to live my life.

Once up the stairwell, I headed to the left and into my bedroom. There I quickly swapped my paint-soaked shirt for something a bit more formal, a black lace skirt. I threw the shirt onto the floor by the foot of my bed. The laundry basket was downstairs.  I will deal with it later.

I headed back downstairs. When I reached the ground floor, I saw my sister taking off her cardigan, her permeant frown on her face. Her dark hair flowed down her back instead of the usual ponytail style she liked to have.

She must want to look decent for mom and dad.

At her side was my nephew Alex. He had short red hair that matched his plain t-shirt. He was scratching at his left arm as my sister started talking with Tommy. Alex’s blue eyes were darting around uneasily.

I waved to them as I entered the kitchen. “Brucine.

How good to see you.”

She looked around the room before answering me. “I see this is the dump you are living in. I told mom that you aren’t in a condition to be hosting a family gathering.”

I bit my tongue as Tommy answered for me. “Always nice to see you, Brucine.”

“I heard you got a new job, Tom. No longer have to rely on Greta to support you and the kids.”

“Ya. Why don’t we go into the living room and talk about it? How is your husband doing?”

She looked at Alex. “Go and get our stuff out of the car.” She looked back at Tommy, her dull green eyes flashing. “Sure, it’s better than standing around here. Martian is doing fine.”

Thank you, Tommy.

After they walked away, I ran and caught up with Alex. “I can get it. You are a guest here.”

He looked up at me. “Mom says I should learn how to handle doing things on my own. Be like my dad.”

I bent down until I was eye level with him. “Well, today is a celebration. Go and relax. You don’t have to grow up so fast. Now today, at least while I am around.”

“Ok.” He forced a smile before heading back inside, pulling up his loose baggy shorts as he went.

I turned my attention back to unloading my sister’s car.

And I am the lazy one. Brucine makes Alex unload her car without lifting her precious finger.

I walked up to her red SUV that she had parked on my lawn, the tires already sinking into the moist ground.  That is going to leave a depression in the dirt for a few months. Thanks for sticking to the driveway Brucine.

Walking around the car, I looked through the windows, checking what I had to get.

There didn’t appear to be anything in the backseat. There was, however, some kind of juice box in the rear of the vehicle. Lifting the door, I got a better look.  Fredrick’s Fancy Sunspring Juice. It comes in three awesome flavors, Grape, Apple, and Berry. No kid’s day is complete without this refreshing drink to help give a spring into your step.

I rolled my eyes.  Why does this keep popping up everywhere I go?

I was glad I went and got this myself. Fredrick’s Fancy products had strange side effects, and I wasn’t going to let my sister serve this at the party. “This is going straight into the basement. I wonder if Brucine even knows what this stuff is.”

As I grabbed the box, a thought came to me.  If I need to duck out for a bit, I could sample this product and see if it makes me shrink again. Then I could have some time to myself.  I loved my family, but they could be overwhelming as well.

So, having a shrinking break for an hour wouldn’t be that bad.

I took the box around the backside of the house. I then opened a door that led down to the basement and carefully walked down the steps. I couldn’t see much carrying the box. It didn’t help much that the farther I went down, the darker the world became.

Finally, I reached the bottom step. I set the container down and reached for the piece of string that would turn on the light located above me. My hands swung around a few times until I found the piece of twine. I pulled down, flooding the room with light.

The basement was a mess. There were clothing and boxes strewn all over and rusting appliances sitting about in odd formations. I walked over and set the Fredrick’s Fancy container down by the water softener, which looked like it was ready to burst apart at the seams.

. As I was set the box down, I could hear some muffled yelling through the floorboards. I wasn’t ready for the headache of today. I looked at the Fredrick’s Fancy box I had just set down.  Maybe just a sip or two? Just so I can shrink for a bit and have a bit of time to myself before dinner. Then I won’t have to make small talk with Brucine for an hour or help Greta wrangle her kids.

I wasn’t entirely sure that is how it worked, but I was still thinking it would be better than just heading upstairs as is. I pulled a grape juice pack out of the box. It had a plastic straw tied to the back that I unwrapped. I yanked it free and slid it into the small hole before taking a few quick gulps. I was glad that was all I planned downing as it tasted more like oil. “Yuck, this is terrible. Well, at least I should be able to have a get-out of awkward conversation-free card now. Just hope it kicks in fast.”

“Sarah, where are you?” I could hear Tommy yelling through the floorboards. “Mom and dad just pulled in.

Great, I should go and meet them. I hope this product doesn’t take effect before I say hello.

I rushed upstairs, ready to help my parents. I walked up back up the stairs, turning off the light as I did so. Once outside, I rushed around the side of the house, heading for the front door. I was just able to meet my parents as they walked up to the porch. My father reached out to shake my hand. “Always nice to see you, Sarah.” I could see he hadn’t trimmed his deathly white beard in a while.

“Hello, dad.”

After he shook my hand, he removed his glasses to try and clean them. “Your mother is still in the car. You know her; she won’t come out until her song is over with.” He scratched his bald head.

I smiled. “I know.

Do you need help with anything?”

I saw Brucine carrying a few heavy-looking gifts. “Your sister has it covered.”

I sighed. My sister was only kind when it came to pleasing our parents. Otherwise, she really couldn’t give much of a damn.

“Well, let’s go inside. No reason to stay outside in this heat.”

I escorted my father into the cold air inside. There the kids rushed him and separated us fast. “Grandpa!” I smiled as I backed away.

“I will go and check on Mom.”

-Before I could go outside, Brucine handed me the gift-wrapped present she was carrying. “Here, find where this goes, will you?” Before I could say otherwise, she went back out the door.

Rolling my eyes, I wondered how long until the potion I had drunk would take effect.

I could only handle so much of Brucine’s attitude for so long.  Maybe I didn’t drink enough, and it won’t work.

Ah, well.

I walked through the living room and into the garage. It was here that I was hiding all the gifts. That way, I didn’t have to lug them up from downstairs.

I set the present gently down behind an overhanging stack of coats that smelled like musty old socks. They had been hanging there since last winter, and I haven’t washed them since then.  No one is going to think of checking back here for them.

Once that was done, I wiped my hands.  That is done.  As I turned around, I started to feel a warmth spread throughout my body.  The product is starting to take effect finally.

At least I am alone, so they won’t see me shrink down.

As the feeling intensified, my ears started to itch intensely. Speaking softly, I said, “That is strange. That didn’t happen the last time when I shank down or even the time when I grew.” I started to scratch at them as the itching intensified. As I did so, it felt like they were becoming longer. I walked over to the car I had borrowed from my neighbor, a small black bug. My last vehicle had been destroyed when I had grown out of it.

I looked at myself in the car’s mirror, and what I saw was a shock. My ears were growing, becoming long and floppy.

Not only that, but thick brown fur was also growing out of them. “Umm, this isn’t supposed to be happening.” I pulled down on my ears that were now extended up past my head. “This is a bit embarrassing.”

“Sarah.” I could hear my brother’s voice. “Where did you go?”

“Crap. Why did I think this was a good idea?” I looked around for a hat to hide my rabbit ears. “I should get out there before anyone asks any more questions.”

Before I could move, my fingers started to itch terribly. I looked down at them, knowing that my transformation was far from over.  I did it now.

My hands started to shrink as brow fur sprouted from them. My fingers became fat and cubby.  They are turning into paws.  I shook my head, trying to understand what was going on.  This was supposed to be just a shrinking adventure, or maybe a growing malfunction. Why am I transforming like this?

Suddenly I heard someone messing with the garage door.  No. I can’t let them see this happening to me.

I hopped over to the door and tried to lock it. With my new paws, I couldn’t manage the door handle.

“Sarah, are you in there?” It was Tommy’s voice.

“Yes.”

“Mother is looking for you.”

My feet started to itch as my nose started to twitch. “Give me a bit.”

“But-“

I looked down at my shoes. They were starting to budge as my feet were beginning to grow and morph. Twitching my nose that was covering itself with hair, I said, “I will come out when I am ready.”

“Ok.” He walked away.

I bent down to get my shoes off before it was too late, sliding my swollen rabbit feet out onto the floor. They kept growing until they were double their average size.

I am turning into a rabbit. A giant rabbit.

When my body started to shrink, the giant thought was dashed. “I guess it could be worse.” My senses were suddenly overwhelmed with new smells. I could smell all the vegetables I had stashed away in my fridge. It made my mouth water.

As I fell downward, my clothing slowly fell off. Thankfully I had a thick layer of fur at this point, so I could just shake my clothing off my body. I didn’t want to become trapped inside it. I threw it off to the side so that no one would see it just lying in the middle of the room. As I did so, I could feel a new poking sensation near my rear. Looking back, I saw a fluffy white tail expand outward.

I could only look at it for a few moments before I fell onto all fours.

I was now about three feet tall and shrinking fast. I suddenly wish I had left the door ajar.  How am I going to get out of here?

I was now almost a normal-sized bunny, able to see my reflection in the car’s bumper. Thankfully my fur helped to keep the chill of the granite floor from getting to me.  This is the last time I am trying a Fredrick’s Fancy product. Ugh, of all the crazy things to happen to me. At last, my transformation had come to an end. I looked around at my now-massive garage.  Well, I got the shrinking part right, and I am alone.

Suddenly the garage door opened. Brucine stormed in with Tommy walking after. “Sarah, we can’t wait on you any longer. Mom wants to see you now.”

Tommy looked around. “I thought she was in here.”

Brucine looked down at me. “When did Sarah decide to get a pet?”

Tommy looked down. “I don’t know.” He bent down, slowly stroking my back, and picked me up. “Still, though, I know that the poor dear shouldn’t be stuck out there all alone.”

Umm, what are you talking about, Tommy?  My already fast-beating heart started to pound even faster.

Brucine shrugged. “I am going to check outside.” She walked out of the room.

Tommy spoke in a soothing voice. “It’s ok now; you can calm down, little one.” He brought me into the living room.

“Daniel, Alex, Junior. Come here.”

After a few moments, Daniel and Thomas Joiner jumped over the couch and stopped in front of my brother. “Yes, dad?”

Their green eyes settled on me.

“You got us a bunny?”

“It’s Aunt Sarah’s. I believe it's ok for you to play with it while waiting on dinner, but you have to behave yourselves. I don’t want a repeat of what happened to Sparky.”

If I could have gulped, I would have.  Why did I think trying the Fredrick’s Fancy product was a good idea?

Tommy set me down, and suddenly small grubby hands were pulling at my ears.

“Let me hold it, Daniel.”

“You are only going to hurt her, Junior.” Daniel pushed his brother back before picking me up and running behind the couch. All I could see was the Rubix cube on his shirt.

“How do you know it’s a she?”

Daniel didn’t answer as he rubbed my back vigorously. I winced in pain.  I think I understand what happened to Sparky now.

Junior suddenly appeared. “Hey, you can’t hog it.”

“I will give her to you when I am done.”

Alex’s voice broke into the conversation. “Hey, what are you two fighting over?”

The two brothers answered in unison. “Nothing.”

Daniel shoved me under a pillow.

I tried to get free as I felt like I had a ton of bricks pressing on my back.  Alex, please save me.

Alex’s voice was gentle and timid. “Then why are you hiding something.”

Daniel answered him. “Hiding?

What do you mean? You must be imagining things.”

“That pillow is moving. What is under there?”

After some effort, I felt my ears slip out from under the pillow and touch someone’s arm. It felt rough against my soft and fluffy ear. They immediately pulled back and pushed my ear to the floor as I heard Daniel say, “It is just a game controller.”

Alex didn’t sound convinced. “I didn’t know controllers had long floppy ears.”

“Might as well stop hiding the rabbit now,” said Junior.

“Fine.” He lifted the pillow off me. I took this as my chance to get away, but Daniel grabbed me before I could take two hops away. “Hold it.”

Alex looked at me with concerned eyes. “The poor thing looks scared half the death. What have you two been doing?”

Junior looked at him like he was born yesterday. “Playing. What do you think?”

Alex reached out and took me out of Daniel’s arms. “You have to be nicer to animals.” He rested his hand gently on my head.

Daniel looked at the ground. “Whatever.”

“Hey, Junior, do you want to go and start Aunt Sarah’s X-box?”

“Ya. Bet I can beat you at Killshot three.”

“You’re on.”

They both ran off. Those two made me not want to have kids at all. They seemed not to have figured out yet what the word respect means.

“It’s ok. You can calm down now.” Alex’s voice was soothing. I relaxed my ears and slowed my breathing for the first time since my transformation.  My family is a bit nuts. At least some people are kind.

“I wish mom would let me have a friend to call my own. She hates animals. Chased our neighbors’ cat out of our yard with a plunger. I don’t know why. To be honest, mom hates a lot of things.” As he spoke, he scratched behind my ears. It was very relaxing.

He put me down. “I am happy I got a chance to meet you. I am going to go to the kitchen and check on dinner. Stay away from my cousins.” He whispered to me. “I heard they made their last pet run away from them. Something about a lighter incident.”

The more I learned about what happened to Sparky, the more I felt like I should try and hop my way upstairs as soon as I can.  I don’t want Daniel and Tommy Junior getting bored and coming back for round two. I need a safer area for this transformation to wear off. It shouldn’t be that long. How long can a few sips of Fredrick’s Fancy last?

After Alex left, I tried moving for the first time since turning into a bunny.

I found it very disorienting, moving on four legs. I was glad no one was paying attention to me at that moment to stumble around and fall flat on my belly. Thankfully the carpet floor was nice and soft to land on over and over again. Why can’t I just know how to use my new body? I feel like a newborn.

After a few minutes, I started getting the hang of hopping around. I made a mad dash for the stairwell. I had to play a game of forger. My family wasn’t looking down to avoid stepping out outside of Tommy and Alex. It was crazy.

One time Brucine almost stepped on my tail, and after realizing her mistake, she used her shoe to push me into the wall.

“Sarah, take care of your pet already.”

My sister never liked animals. When we were young, father bought us a parrot. Brucine tried to get it to copy her voice. She succeeded but a bit too well. When the bird copied her, it parroted, “Brucine snuck out.” She wanted to drown the bird thinking it would rat out for eternity. Ever since then, things seemed to go wrong in the pet department with my sister. It got to the point where mom and dad gave up on pets to try and please Brucine.

Once my sister had left, I tried to dash for the stairwell. I was but a few more hops away from it, but an intoxicating smell caused me to stop dead in my tracks. My little nose twitched, trying to determine just what was the source was.

It smells like stew with cooked carrots.

Before I knew what I was doing, I started moving towards the kitchen.

In my absence, my mother had taken over dinner prep, her frail-looking frame gingerly moving around the room. If I was able, I would have told her I could have handled it, and she could take it easy.

As I moved farther into the room, I spotted a pot that was the source of the smell.

Some deep instinct overtook me, and I felt myself trying to get up there.  I have to try what is in there.

It smells so good.

My mother looked down at me with her sea-blue eyes. “Well, where did you come from? My dear Sarah didn’t tell me she had a rabbit running around the house.”

She gently picked me up. “I hope my grandsons haven’t given you too much trouble.”

I tried in vain to reach for the stew, causing my mother’s wrinkly face to smile. “You are hungry, aren’t you? Well, I guess I will let you have a little taste.” She set me down on the counter next to the pot. She used a giant spoon to scope out some of the stew.

“Maybe if Sarah has decided she is ready to take care of you, then maybe she is ready to settle down and give me grandchildren like her siblings. Such a rebellious woman she can be.” She lowered the stew down to my mouth. “Now, don’t burn your little mouth. I brought this all the way from Oregon. I do hope that it is good.”

As usual, my mother’s stew was tasty, but through my new taste buds, it was better than it had ever been before. I couldn’t stop myself from slurping down the small sample I had been given.

“Now, that is enough. Run along.

I don’t want to spoil you.”

She set me down on the floor. It took all my mental effort to hop away from the intoxicating meal.

Ugh, why does it have to smell so good? Walking away is so hard.

Eventually, I managed to get out of the kitchen, leaving the wonderful smell behind me. I focused on making my way up the stairwell again and away from my family. I had to. I didn’t’ know how much longer I would stay like this, and the last thing I needed was for them to see me turn from bunny to Sarah.

When I finally reached the stairs, I had a new problem. Just trying to climb one step was an ordeal. My tiny little frame could barely get my paws up a level, and when I did, getting my fat little rear end was near impossible without falling back down onto the floor.  And I thought it was hard to move around when I had shrunk at work. This is ridiculous.

I kept at it. After a while, I figured out how to adjust my weight and pull myself up the step. And just in time too. I heard Daniel call out, “Little Bunny! Where are you?”

Oh no. I need to hurry.

Pressing my ears against my body, I tried to speed my way up the steps. It was exhausting. I was climbing a mountain. Eventually, I made it to the top and safety, my little heart beating with joy.  No more having to fear; I will end up like Sparky.

I didn’t have much time to rest. A familiar feeling started to wash over me. Not wanting to be out in the open as I began to transform, I hopped out of sight and into the nearby bedroom.

There I started to grow, my body starting to become more human.

My ears shrank, and my feet became more regular. I stumbled about now, four feet tall again. I watched in the mirror as my tail vanished.  Oh my, this is happening a lot faster than when I turned into a bunny. After I grew to an appropriate height, I started to put some clothes on, a blue mini dress, and some matching leggings. I then headed to the mirror to make sure I was entirely me again.

Yep. Finally.

Time to head back downstairs. I am sure they have been wondering where I have vanished to.

I made sure to put on a pair of sneakers first and then went downstairs, heading for the kitchen to say hello to mother. I hadn’t had a chance to before my bunny incident. She didn’t turn around as I entered the kitchen.

“Hiding, haven’t we, Sarah.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I just got a bit tied up. I can handle things from here, mom.”

She turned to look at me. “I think I have dinner handled. Especially after you almost butchered the roast.”

I winced. “I mean it, mom.”

She smiled. “I guess I can go and spend some time with your father.” She walked over and hugged me. “Don’t be a stranger, Sarah.”

I smiled as she left. I had expected her to be a bit testier. I had been gone for so long, but she just seemed happy to see me.

I spent the next hour socializing with my family until dinner. We played some video games, went outside, watched the kids play, and had some general fun. Even Brucine lightened up. The kids kept asking about my pet bunny, and I kept having to come up with excuse after excuse as to why they couldn’t see it. I couldn’t just make myself transform on a whim for them. I also had an awkward conversation about what happened to the Fredrick’s Fancy Juice that Brucine brought over. She wanted to know what happened to it. I wasn’t about to tell her where it was or the reason why it vanished.

Like she would believe, it turns people into rabbits.

Finally, it came time for dinner. With mom’s and Tommy’s help, we brought the food out into the backyard onto the picnic tables. It was no longer a secret that my house was a mess, and I needed room for everyone, so we decided to eat outside at sunset. Besides my roast, there was my mother’s stew, which didn’t taste anywhere near as good as it did when I was a rabbit. All the soda I had bought for this occasion. My brother’s homemade pizza and Brucine’s pie. She was still sore that her juice for the kids had vanished, but it was for the best.

The conversation was brief as we enjoyed our feast. The sun slowly setting behind the pine trees helped to make the occasion all that more special. After dinner, Tommy helped me clean while Brucine took off without a word. She gave a few hugs but bolted. My parents stuck around for a few minutes before leaving themselves.

As we were cleaning up, Tommy asked me, “So, where did you disappear off to today?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t’ act like you don’t know. You vanished for a good hour while your pet was roaming the house. That and you came back wearing different clothing.”

I smiled. “You wouldn’t believe me. Trust me.”

He looked at me strangely. “Fine, don’t tell me. You have always been an odd one, Sarah.”

We finished with the dishes then I said goodbye to Daniel, Junior, and Greta.

The kids seemed more interested in fighting over some handheld than saying goodbye to me. Finally, Greta yelled, “Say goodbye to your aunt!”

“By,e Aunt Sarah.” they groaned.

I waved to them. I wasn’t exactly pleased, but I couldn’t exactly tell my family why. Then I hugged my brother goodbye and waved as they drove out of the driveway.

It had been one long and exhausting day, but I had gotten through it. If there was one thing I learned, was next time the family comes over to visit, don’t use a Fredrick’s Fancy product to get away from them.  Or you will be spending more quality family time than you want.