As the year progressed, our hectic schedules relaxed; the days of May began to heat up—hinting at a punishingly hot summer. It was Friday, late in the afternoon when Mary appeared again. Unlocking our mailbox, I was sifting through a small stack, when my periphery vision caught sight of a silver Mazda turning onto our street. I stepped out to see if it was Mary. Her car slowly approached and then paused in the middle of t...

Ours was a comfortable and safe neighborhood, a small modest middle-class subdivision where families quickly found each other and took turns rotating play dates and sleepovers. Each child of mine found their favorite family and formed early friendships that would last for years. Of course, the children brought us moms together where we got acquainted and grew to enjoy each other's company in friendship; in some cases crea...