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Joyce pointed after Beverly, beaelically "It won’t roaned "Fine I’ll be out as soon as I have some real clothes on"

"Just reo looking for thereat pleasure in closing the door in her face

It only took er I ht not re and turning in the night, and ave ith an audible ripping sound I cringed and kept brushing until I felt vaguely presentable Then I went out to joinat the kitchen table, waiting That was unusual all by itself Mom would normally have left for her volunteer work by now, and Dad and Joyce usually ht The box from SymboGen was in the center of the table, covered with evenlabels than Joyce had reported I stopped in the hallway door, blinking at theot about?" I asked "Because if it is, I’ to you, too, sweetie," said Mom

"I called the lab and told the," said ht, and I wanted a chance to talk to you before we left"

"Besides, mystery box," said Joyce She was her usual blithe self Mo to look norris they weren’t quite willing to say I foundfro to start thinking like that, I ht now At least there I would knoho I could trust--no one--and as lying to reed, and walked over to take a seat at the table I tried to tug the box toward me, but it was so heavy I couldn’t move it "What’s in here? Bricks?"

"The noraveit inside"

I blinked at ht fro scolded I turnednot to let my discos built into the cardboard to make the box easier to open They also rendered it iiant multinational corporation, you don’t need to worry as ed theradable packing peanuts spilled out onto the kitchen table

"Hang on a second, sweetie, I’ll get a bag," said Mo for me to stop She pushed her chair back and bustled into the kitchen, returning a fewShe swept the fallen packing peanuts into it, and stood ready to catch any ht Proceed"

"Efficiency, thy name is Mom," said Joyce

I forced a chuckle, and pulled the top off the box, sending a larger flood of packing peanuts in all directions I put the box top on the floor next topeanuts before they could roll under the furniture, where they would be later inhaled by the dog I ignored her in favor of digging down into the box, spilling ers hit plastic "Got it," I said, and lifted

Whoever had been responsible for sterilizing and packing my personal possessions had taken their job very, very seriously My things were swaddled in a double layer of plastic wrap, and there was an itemized inventory of as inside affixed to the front I scanned the list, and rolled h I just didn’t see the utility of ite individual ta peanut at old"

"Not even Syood reason," I said, setting s aside "But that can’t be all that’s in here Look at the size of this box"

"Maybe Sy department is just really enthusiastic," said Joyce

"I don’t know" I had to stand to see over the edge of the box I ru around until I hit what felt like the handle of a medium-sized cooler "What the…?" I lifted

It was, in fact, a cooler, labeled "Open Iave a little squeal of delight, and went back to ru peanuts By the time I’d found the next ite suspiciously like croissants--Joyce had opened the cooler, and was squealing more loudly as she unpacked sliced fruit, berries and cream, and an assortment of cold breakfast meats onto the table I passed the box of croissants tobox one more time

The last ite unit attached to keep the contents warm, and a note taped to the outside:

Sally--