Carmella was washing the clothes in the washtub that she kept outside. She fantasized about the time when she could simply dump clothes into the washer. Why did she ever complain about that? Throw the clothes in, add some detergent, and press a button. Damn, how spoiled she had been back in those days.

At least the boiling water and hard work kept her warm. Laundry was an ordeal when it had been only her clothes, but now she had to clean up after the alien. His bandages had ...