“My dear, this dress. You are an absolute vision,” Caroline says. “I’d ask you to spin, but that seems inappropriate. Larry, isn’t she a knockout?”

Larry clears his throat and resumes chatting with another neighbor, Bruce. Caroline engages me about the dress, how I’m enjoying Elmhurst, and my days as a cello player. “And you’re a new mother too? Are you getting any sleep at all?”

If she only knew. My laugh says it all.

“I’ll take that as a no.” She squeezes my hand. “It gets so much better. I promise.”

She doesn’t know I’m a widow, or that I’m on my own, but I cling to her words like some sort of promise. Things will get better. They have to.

“What gets better?” Jess asks.

“Sleeping,” I say. “Caroline assures me that one day I will sleep again.”

Jess snorts. “That’s not the worst of it. Tell them about what’s been happening.”

I shoot her a warning look.

“What’s been happening?” Caroline asks.

“Nothing. I think my sleep deprivation is just getting the best of me.”

“She thought someone broke into her house. Twice. Wait, no. First, you thought you were being followed to the park, then you heard footsteps on the baby monitor while you were in the bath, of all things. And doors have been unlocked when they should have been locked too, right? Oh, and then her son’s playpen was moved. I think it’s a ghost.”

“My dear.” Caroline grips my wrist. “Larry, are you hearing this? We can offer you some extra protection or set up a specific neighborhood watch if you need it?”

“We called the police and Officer Hot Pants came by,” Jess explains.

“Officer Toby,” I correct. I realize I don’t even know his last name.

“Officer Toby is right over there.” Caroline motions somewhere off in the distance. “Takes himself a little too seriously, if you ask me. He’s Chief Holbrook’s pet. On the fast track to being promoted.”

“It’s really okay,” I say. “Probably just exhaustion coupled with an overactive imagination.”

Jess butts in. “They offered her surveillance, which I think is a good idea.”

“It’s not necessary,” I say.

“Hi.” Beth wanders over and joins the conversation, and I’m thankful for the distraction. Beth introduces herself to Larry and Caroline, and then introduces Trevor, who begins to cry.

I swallow my champagne in one fizzy gulp. “Excuse me.” I venture toward the backyard, eager to abandon the conversation. Someone cuts me off near the patio. “You’re the cello player, right? Suzie, come here! I found her!” A gaggle of women close in until I am drowning in demands to give cello lessons to their brilliant offspring.