Emma and I have a bargain. If one of us cooks a nice dinner, the other cleans up. While I can and do cook, Emma does most of the cooking. Therefore, I do most of the cleaning.

I always thank Emma during dinner for the meal, and Emma invariably thanks me for cleaning when I’m washing pots and pans. I—a lifelong smar­tass—usu­al­ly respond, "Thank you for making a mess."

So far, she’s taken this with good grace—prob­a­bly better than I deserve. In truth, the cleanup is usually far quicker than the cooking.