Melissa sidled up to us. “Don’t tell Tony how bad these are.” She daintily lifted an electric-green martini to her lips and pretended to take a sip as she smiled at her husband over the rim of the glass.

“Oh, Amy, I’ve been meaning to ask how the carnival planning is coming along,” Heather said. She smiled. “I really wish I could have helped out more, but I’ve been so busy planning our next home renovation. We are putting in a four-seasons room in the back of the house”

I matched her faux smile. “It’s been great.” I gestured to Jess and Melissa. “I’m so lucky that my friends have pitched in and that the older ladies from the neighborhood have offered to help, since finding volunteers was a bit challenging.”

I didn’t tell her that I had had a breakdown that morning to Mark over all of it. The carnival was the next week, and although I had checked off all the boxes and arranged for the games, food vendors, and prizes, the weight of what had happened with Liz, and Emily, made it hard to breathe.

“Maybe you should just cancel it. With all the stuff that’s happened this summer, I don’t know if it’s such a good idea,” Mark had said as he hugged me in our bedroom, after he saw my tears.

“Mark, it’s days away. I can’t cancel it now,” I said.

“You can. Just do it,” he said.

I paused and briefly allowed myself to think about what a relief it would be to let it all go, throw in the towel. It all felt like too much, and I didn’t know if I had the emotional fortitude to hand out small stuffed animal prizes and pretend nothing was happening.

I was about to agree with him when I heard a shriek outside the bedroom. I turned my head from Mark’s chest and saw Jack standing in the hallway.

“What? You’re canceling the carnival?” he said. His fists were balled up on either side of his body.

I extricated myself from Mark’s embrace and wiped my cheeks. “No, of course not.”

Jack eyed me suspiciously, and I walked over and put an arm around his small shoulders. “Everything will be great, I promise. I was just being silly.”

He wiggled away and gave me such an innocent smile that it nearly broke my heart. “Okay, good. You’re the best.”

“Did you guys hear about what happened to our tub?” Tony said now as he made the rounds of the kitchen.

Melissa’s head snapped in his direction.

Heather put a hand to her chest as she took a sip of her purple drink. “No, what? Not your custom clawfoot.”