In the corner on the other side of the room, Pia flipped through a catalog, but Alice jumped up right away, sticking out a cool, slim hand. Her perky demeanor made her seem younger than I suspected she really was, around my age. “I know we met before, briefly, but I’m Alice. It’s so great you’re here. You just have the greatest hair,” she gushed. “Is that weird to say? It’s probably weird to say, but you do.”

“Thank you,” I said. To tell the truth, I didn’t know if it was weird. “I just dyed it a few weeks ago, actually. It turned out redder than I’d thought.”

“What? Don’t ever admit that, honey. It’s all natural, remember.” Pia looked up from her catalog, tossed it on the side table. She pointed at my dress. “That’s a Boden, right? I think I have it in green.”

Bettina interrupted, “We’re drinking gin and tonics tonight. Are you in?”

“Definitely,” I said. I could use it to settle my nerves.

She handed me a short, heavy glass with one giant skull-shaped cube in the middle. I sipped it gratefully and sat next to Kendra on the couch, which was by far the most comfortable-looking seat in the room. The others were on modern leather chairs with hard wood arms, in a semicircle, Bettina closest to the sidebar. I’d watched them just last week through Kendra’s window, and now here I was.

“So, Theresa,” Kendra said. She straightened a giant beaded necklace. “Dish it. Tell us everything about you.”

I laughed, even as I was taken aback. Don’t hunch. “Well, I don’t know where to even begin with that.”

“What do you do? For work.”

“I was a reporter—in Philly. But now I’m freelancing, until I can figure out my next steps.”

“What kind of reporter?” Bettina asked. “Investigative?”

I took another sip of my drink. “Education, mostly. I covered some K-12 stuff for the Inquirer. But honestly, I’m open to anything.”

“Easy. We’ll find you something.” Kendra waved her hand as though it was a done deal. I was beginning to see how she could go from businesslike grilling to warm and friendly in a matter of seconds.

“Speaking of jobs,” Alice said. “I reckon a toast is in order.” She held up her glass, and everyone followed suit. “Congrats to your husband, for getting the job as principal and bringing y’all here to Ivy Woods.”

We clinked glasses, except for Pia, who was drinking a bottle of water.

“Thank you,” I said. The gin had started to take effect, warming me. The women seemed much more welcoming than last week at the high school. It was a relief. “We’re glad to be here.”

Kendra took a sip and turned to me again. “I can imagine it’s a big change, moving somewhere totally new.”