From the bottom step Jean looks down at the menagerie, then at the Feds. "You again! Carl, why are you two back?" He looks down at his shoes and shrugs.
"um, well, we wanted to go somewhere warm. That is, the bear and the penguins were too cold at Kate's and wanted that, and it seemed a good idea to Boss Fed and me, too, at the time. We remembered how nice you were to us before, and it's warm here. We could help you out like before; you remember, in your sewing room there. You said that was a real nice job we did. And it was snowing at Kate's!"
Jean thinks back, remembering how nicely they straightened everything out, folding each piece of her stash, sorting it into woven-or-knit, heavy-or-light, and the thread was even better! Boss Fed did know the difference between fuchsia and hot pink, they had cleaned and oiled her sewing machines and the serger. Besides, now there were three more machines they could do. "Well, I suppose you could stay for a few days again, provided you behave and don't make any noise. DH would not take kindly to the likes of you! But what about the circus you brought with you? I do not run a zoo here!"
The penguins realized they were being talked about in a not-too-kindly fashion and the polar bear looked like it might cry. It sidled over to the step and looked up at Jean, taking off the Raybans so as to appear a bit friendlier. "We won't be any trouble, really we won't. A warm mug of tea now and then, and an occasional dip in the bathtub would be nice. We're really neat and well- behaved. We gave Mistress Kate no bother at all."
Jean found that hard to believe, but it would be interesting to live with a half-dozen miniature penguins and a small polar bear. The Feds were OK before, and she sure could set them to work on the sewing room. The new cabinets needed their drawers and shelves stocked from the closets and the stash was totally out of control; she hadn't had time to straighten it out since her neighbor up the street gave her a pile of cotton prints from her attic.
"All right, a few days. But you know the rules, Boss Fed and Carl, and let the menagerie know what they are: DH must not know about your presence. I'll go put the kettle on, we'll have a cuppa and then you two get to work and the rest stay out of trouble." She went upstairs to the kitchen and got out tea and mugs. Her big white teapot had been broken; the little green one would have to do. In a few minutes she carried a tray downstairs to find the penguins and the bear in the bathtub half-filled with water. The polar bear was playing with the plastic ducks it found in one corner while the penguins surfed about from one end of the tub to the other, clearly enjoying the warm water. Boss Fed and Carl stood in the bathroom doorway, laughing at the antics.
"Thanks, Mistress Jean," the two chorussed, "for the stay and the tea."
(to be continued)