Don’t Change the Shirt

By Janice McCrum

Before I add the cream, I do the test, even though the best-before date says it’s expired. Under the kitchen skylight I give the tall container a shake, then a smell. I know it’s still fresh. Any hint of sourness and I dump it.

“Wouldn’t it be easier and—safer—just to trust the date and throw it out?” asks my daughter.

My mental math confirms that the cream is indeed a few days past the best before date. My eyes meet hers, those big no-nonsense young mother eyes.

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