Chapter 44

At 10:03 P.M. Howard had finished cleaning the apartment, silently giving thanks that his children had never developed the cleaning habits of Felipe. Looking down at his clothes and feeling his sweaty underclothes beneath them, Howard was pretty sure that dignity was a thing of the past and that it a mere shower might not be enough to make him feel clean ever again.

Howard took the last trash bag of the night to the trash chute on Felipe’s floor, and then returned to the apartment and found Felipe watching television in the den.

“Just want to check out with you,” Howard said. “Same time next week?”

“That’s perfect,” Felipe said, turning his attention from the television to Howard. “The place looks great. I was scared to sit on this couch this morning.”

“Well, I’m glad you like it. All of the trashcans and the dishwasher are empty, so feel free to use them,” Howard said.

Felipe laughed. “I’ll try to do better.”