Annie loves to watch Suzy act out little scenes from her favorite Disney movies, positioning her Beanie Babies on the lawn as different characters, chattering away in her toddler babble about what’s going to happen next. Lolly is always the main character, the hero, and a snake dubbed Slither, its heart-shaped Ty tag long torn off, is always the villain. Suzy loves to squeeze Slither, hear the crinkle of the beans sliding down his long, thin body.

On the back porch’s brick floor, they race Hot Wheels cars, shouting with glee when one car hits a pillar and veers off course, back onto the lawn or into the clipped boxwoods surrounding the porch. One afternoon, after Suzy beseechingly knocks on his office door, Mr. Keller joins them, crouching on his knees to race with them. He looks so ridiculous, bent over on the ground in his khaki shorts and ironed top, that Annie has to suppress her laughter.

But as she watches him holler and whoop as the cars zoom and crash across the bricks, she smiles. Mrs. Keller perches on a chair, her toes curled under her legs, smoking, eyeballing the action with an opaque expression.

When it rains, Annie promises herself, and the Kellers, that she won’t take the easy way out and switch on the TV. Instead, she organizes elaborate craft activities for Suzy, from building a house out of popsicle sticks, to concocting treats in the kitchen, like homemade ice cream.

When Suzy finally succumbs to her afternoon nap, Annie cooks dinner, elaborate meals that could satisfy both the toddler and the adults: spaghetti with sauce made from homegrown tomatoes, hamburgers cooked to each family member’s liking, a creamy beet hummus that Mrs. Keller devours in a day.

“How do you do it?” Mrs. Keller asks one day as Annie whips up a double-layer cake with cream cheese frosting, decorating the top with perfect little rosebuds. “You’re what, nineteen? And already a little homemaker. You’re going to make some man happy one day,” she says. Annie’s unsure if it’s a compliment, but she simpers as she scatters sprinkles on top of the cake.

“My mom taught me how to cook when I was young, and I’ve always loved it. I love cooking for Suzy, especially, even if her palate isn’t too refined yet. She’s such a dream.” Mrs. Keller lifts a corner of her lip into a half smile before exiting the kitchen, her heels click-clacking on the tiled floor. She and Mr. Keller are going out to dinner tonight.