"Are we just about done?" Andy asked.
"Only a few more invitations to address," Sandy, his twin sister, said. "Then you're free."
A loud thud, followed by a bark came from above their heads. They both looked up toward the ceiling.
"What was that?" Sandy asked.
"Oh, it's just Nick," Andy said. "He's getting the Christmas decorations from the attic. It sounds like Henry is helping."
Another thud and some muffled swearing reached their ears. They both laughed.
"Let's wrap this up," Andy said. "Nick is going to be ready for lunch when he comes down."
They worked a little longer in silence, addressing the rest of the invitations for the annual family Christmas party. When they were finishing up, they heard Henry's toenails tapping on the hardwood floor as he came down the hall. The dog came into the kitchen, followed by Nick.
"Good Lord, what happened to you?" Andy asked when he saw his partner.
Nick was a mess. He was sweaty, had smudges on his face and cobwebs in his dark brown hair. He stood, patting the dust from his clothes, a big grin on his face. Andy got up and walked over to him. He reached up and began pulling cobwebs off of Nick's hair.
"It was rough," Nick said. "But I think I managed to find everything. Whoever put the decorations away last year did a good job of labeling the boxes."
"That would have been your resident librarian," Sandy said, indicating Andy. "One thing that he can do well is organize."
"What I found looks like a good start," Nick said.
"Good start?" Andy asked.
"We may have to go shopping for more lights," Nick said. "There may not be enough."
"Enough for what?" Andy asked. "What did you have in mind?"
"I think that I'm going to go vertical," Nick said.
"Vertical?" Andy asked.
"Is there a ladder in the garage?"
"Oh, dear," Sandy said.
)
