The Last Load on a Los Angeles Afternoon

At 4:17 on a bright Saturday afternoon, a dusty red door leaned against the curb in Pasadena, and the neighbors had begun to notice. Behind it sat a splintered bookcase, boxes of old tile, a cracked patio chair, and the remains of a kitchen remodel that had seemed manageable when it started. Then the contractor called: the crew would be back Monday morning.