Summary

“The Party” opens the short story collection. A widow fries an egg and leaves it to go cold. The gay couple next door knocks on the woman’s door to let her know that they are having a party. The men are friendly and make conversation. The men are not inviting the woman, but rather warning the woman about potential noise. One of the men offers the woman his old iPod and headphones for the noise. The woman thinks about how “she wanted to smile and laugh and joke with them” (6), but she remains aloof. After the couple leaves, the woman remembers a previous party the couple had. The woman takes a nap and wakes to the noise of the party. The woman is disoriented, “remember[ing] who is dead” (9) and wondering why the cooked egg was left abandoned. The...