Summary

"Finishing Touch" follows the narrator in the present tense as she prepares her home for house party she is throwing and claiming it is for no other reason than the loveliness of summer. She sees it as a chance for a fresh start (74) and continues to mention the freedom of being able to do things over again. She rearranges her furniture and spends time enjoying the idea of her invited guests spending time in her house while relishing the thought of uninvited people not knowing about the fun they will have at her party. She no longer enjoys doing a lot of work for parties, and she is not shy about asking very specific guests to bring very specific food items she needs to entertain. The narrator then fixates on the ottoman she has brought from upstairs. She knows she would like to...