Nine O'clock

it's been a month

milagro texts me near midnight.

stive. we will come tomorrow.
I get out of bed
and begin cleaning the house.

hiding money.
hiding check books.
shuffling papers.

what time, I ask her.

nine she says. thank you.

nine means 3 o'clock
in her world.

which is fine. she's in and out
with her three
helpers in no time,

but everything is perfect.

I put the money on the counter,
the key under the mat.

I can hardly wait to get home
to a clean house.

a month? where does the time
go?