And so it went—the kind of awkward small talk I’d never had much time for. Yes, I grew up in Dallam County. Yes, I can ride a horse. Only eighth grade. My parents? Dead. Only a brother. In the Army.

“I’m so glad you came around today,” she said at one point. “I know it can be overwhelming meeting a whole new group of friends and those women can be a lot.” She laughed. “But I have a good feeling about you, Lizzie. I don’t care what anyone says—if Cal loves you, that’s good enough for me.”

She was so friendly and lovely and hospitable, but there were also those little moments where I felt almost like she was warning me—had the other women been gossiping? Had they been cruel behind my back? I told myself I didn’t care what they thought, but the truth was, Calvin worked with their husbands and those women were going to be a part of my life for a long time.

I had been bored witless. Cal and I had settled into a routine so sedate, it was almost catatonic. He left for work at Fort Bliss in the morning, and I cleaned the house, and then watched the clock until he got home. I turned my attention to the yard to try to fill my days, tearing up every inch of established garden on that lot and spending a small fortune on young roses and hedges and building a tidy little vegetable garden. That project entertained me for a while, but soon all there was left to do was wait for the plants to grow.

So when Avril called for another coffee date, I agreed. Soon, we were meeting two or three times a week. I couldn’t tell if she was just being nice or if maybe she was a little lonely, but I appreciated the company, so I didn’t question her enthusiasm too much. Besides, Cal was pleased I was making an effort, and that was good too. I pushed my front door open and waited while Avril walked inside first, holding Patty’s hand. As we took our seats in the living room, she smiled.

“I was happy when I heard Calvin bought you this great big house. I’m excited to watch you two fill it with children.”

“Oh—” I said, wincing. “No, we won’t be doing that.” She looked at me in surprise, so I explained. “Calvin is sterile—that’s why he and Louise didn’t have children.”

That was true—Cal suffered a bad bout of mumps as a child. Not that it mattered in our marriage, given we had separate bedrooms.