They clean in a fury,

wiping the spilled milk from last morning,

sweeping away crumbs from lunch,

replacing the soiled towel for a new one,

reordering the furniture to hide peeled wall paint,

removing remnants of the previous argument,

polishing the “happy” jar they stopped keeping up with.

Finally the house is spotless.

the guests arrive, smiling in approval,

admiring the lovely color scheme of every room,

and the hosts nod, laughing,

content with another successful forgery.