(Original Publication Date, 7 September 1991)
Panel 1: Now that the kids are at school, Elly tells April it's just them now...just Mommy and Baby and Doggie.
Panel 2: Yes, it is...just Mommy and Doggie and Baby. Daddy's gone to work and Big Brother and Big Sister are at school! Everyone's gone bye-bye! Say bye-bye to everyone!
Panel 3: Since Elly behaves as if they've padlocked the doors from the outside, we get an awkward moment when she starts to realize what that means.
Panel 4: As April pukes on her shoulder, Elly hollers "DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" because she doesn't realize that she isn't actually trapped at home and can go to parks and things.
Hmmm. Suddenly, I have in mind John telling her this only to be told that she'd feel guilty if she took April out for a stroll and 'abandoned her post'.
Summary: Elly will resent April for the rest of her life because she doesn't want to admit that she has no great destiny that's being lost. She can easily pick up her life when the kid is in school like a lot of parents like her do. She can drop April off at a play school. She can but she won't because that means she isn't someone things happen to that she's helpless to prevent.