When I walked out of the guest room, I shut the door behind me harder than I meant to. I didn’t even take a full step before colliding into someone. Something hard struck my shin, and a clatter spilled across the floor. It sounded like metal, then plastic, and the hollow thump of a mop bucket. 

“Oh— I’m so sorry,” I blurted immediately, already bending down. 

Mary was kneeling too, gathering scattered cleaning supplies with quick, flustered hands. “No, no, it’s okay, ma’am, ...