So, once Mommy Raccoon and her two Bitty Raccoons had decamped, my husband stuck his head into the cubby to investigate.

007: Hey, I can see daylight!
Me: What?!!?!
007: Come and look.

There is a chimney flue going up behind what we thought was a storage nook. We’ve lived here five years and never guessed.

The next time someone said they had a surprise for me, this happened: