Stringent Parental Drop-In

20250924

Prompt from DailyPrompt.com

“Ok! See you soon!” Maggie trilled into her phone, then the moment the call ended her face contorted with panic and she sprinted into the kitchen, where her husband was humming along with the radio and leisurely washing lunch dishes. “ANDREW!”
He jumped and looked up, his full name alerting him that this was an emergency. “What’s wrong-”
“My parents are visiting!”
“Oh? When-”
“They’re at the town fair!!”
“How nice.” Andy said automatically. Then his brain caught up. “Wait, you mean-”
“They’ll be here in less than an hour!!!”
“Ohh.” Andy blanched. “Can you get the dusting done by the time I finish here?”
“I’ll have to!” Maggie dove into the cleaning cupboard.
Goggles. Smock. Mask. Kerchief for hair. With her uniform on she gripped the feather duster tight and took off like a baton runner.
Along one hallway wall and up the stairs, arm outstretched as high as she could to reach the ceiling. Sharp left into the bathroom.
She hopped up on the toilet seat to fence with the cobwebs. Normally she didn’t worry about spiders but with the threat of lingering parental disapproval there could be no leniency!
Swish SWIPE her weapon sliced left and right, into every corner and then out the window to be vigorously shaken.
How long had that taken? Maybe a minute. Not good, not good, she needed to be faster!
Thankfully for the bedroom she only had to tidy what would be seen in a quick peek, then shut the door. Even her parents wouldn’t invite themselves in - not after Andy blew up like that.
The ‘spare room’ was the first real challenge. Being a haphazard combo of WFH office, exercise room, guest bedroom, reading room, and “we’ll find a proper home for this someday” holding zone, it was overfull and unorganised. No way she could get it within standards with the time she had.
She dusted the ceiling and shelves, shoved everything on the desk into drawers (sorry, Andy!) and stacked the weights behind the sofa bed.
By the time she clattered back downstairs (seventeen whole minutes gone!!), making sure to dust between each banner railing, Andy had the vacuum out.
Maggie panted “Don’t forget-”
“The skirting boards.”
“Yes!”
Had she ever loved this man more than this moment??
Especially when she peeped into the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief at the sink and draining board being clear (though wet) and all obvious surfaces wiped.
They might just pull this off.
Into the living room, grabbing a duster cloth from the cupboard on her way past. First use the cloth to wipe down the TV - why did it collect dust so?? Then back to the feather duster, go go go! She had to at least wipe each shelf. If she had time she’d come back and do each ornament but the clock said her parents would be here any minute…
As she clattered into the dining room she could hear Andy working his way down the stairs.
Come on, come on…
She peered out the window, reassured that her parents’ car was nowhere in sight, and threw herself at the last round of dusting. Thankfully the table had been wiped after lunch, and most of the shelves in here had cupboards.
Alright. Sheath the duster, shed her uniform, plant a harried kiss on Andy’s cheek as she hurried back upstairs.
The last two tasks before the dreaded doorbell were giving the loo and sink a quick clean, and putting on what her mother would consider minimal acceptable makeup. If she did this right she could juggle both.
Maggie shut the bathroom door and sagged against it. Just for a moment. Savouring the illusion of safety this sanctuary provided.
Then she straightened up and fished the cleaning spray out of the cupboard. Spritz the shower, spritz the sink… oh god, the mirror was in a state! No way she could leave it like that.
Back into the cupboard - and all the bottles fell out when she tried to extract the glass cleaner!! NO! Why always when she was in a hurry?? She left them in a heap and just yanked out what she needed - glass cleaner, spray the mirror, throw it back in the cupboard. Loo cleaner, squirt it around the bowl, back in the cupboard! Everything else got piled on top.
If Mum or Dad thought to open it they’d have choice words. Hopefully it wouldn’t occur.
Ok. Ok-
The doorbell.
Maggie gulped back bile, opening the door a crack to call to Andy “Tell them I’ll be down in a minute!”
“Right.”
She firmly shut the door again. Think fast - what would be the noisiest task? One her parents might hear from the hallway?
Scrubbing the toilet. So she grabbed the brush.
Downstairs door opened. She could just hear Andy welcoming her parents in. Hopefully he’d think to get them into the kitchen and safely away from here…
Brush back in holder. BUT DON’T FLUSH YET. Once they heard that she had less than a minute before her absence was suspicious.
How long was it going to take to wipe everything down? It didn’t really matter, she had to do it now, but trying to do makeup too might be pushing it. She’d just have to accept the undertone admonishments and stern “I don’t know why he puts up with this”.
Maggie buffed the mirror, her hand a blur and her eyes locked on her reflection’s.
We can do this. We’re an adult now. All they can do to us is be snide.
The squeegee would be the fastest way of cleaning the shower, but risked noise. She used the same cloth instead. Now flush. Then wash the sink.
Alright. It wasn’t going to be enough - nothing ever was - but she was out of time.
She dropped the cloth in the hamper, took a deep breath, and fastened on a cheery smile. Then opened the door and skipped downstairs, trilling “Hiii! It’s lovely to see you!!”

Prompt was “Turn a mundane activity like household chores into a heart-pumping, action-packed tale!”