surprised that she trusted me so quickly, but she explained that she had already called my references. My former boss had told her how I once drove forty minutes to return a patient’s lost wallet, and my neighbor had told her that I had watched her dog for two weeks without accepting payment. Mrs. Whitaker had decided I was trustworthy.
On my first Thursday, I arrived early and waited in my car until exactly nine. Inside, Mrs. Whitaker had left detailed instructions on the kitchen counter. I followed every word carefully. I scrubbed bathrooms, cleaned baseboards, dusted doorframes, washed the kitchen, and even cleaned the oven. When I dusted the piano, I carefully lifted every family photograph and returned it to exactly the same place.
At noon, I ate the peanut butter sandwich and apple I had brought with me. Even though the kitchen was large and welcoming, I didn’t
