Lena hadn’t given a shit about any of that, and the first new text on my phone was from her. Just making sure y’all stumbled home okay and a winking emoji.

I texted back: Margaritas=happy. Thnx … next time on us.

Then I opened the text from the unknown sender and read: Hi Kacy, The Bluebonnets are working on a fundraising event for the literacy project and I thought your experience might prove helpful. We have our first committee meeting over lunch today. Is there any way I might pick you up at eleven? I apologize for the short notice and appreciate your help. Elizabeth

Well, maybe freaking out at a dinner party and swearing at a social gathering was the right way to win friends. And Lena had accepted the true me. This could be my chance to break through with Elizabeth. Committee meetings and event planning were familiar territory from my old life. Before I could overthink anything, I responded: Sounds good. I’ll be ready.

Two hours, three outfit changes, and an application of makeup later, I slipped into the passenger seat of Elizabeth’s sensible SUV. Her blond hair hung loose and sleek, and her eyes were shaded by Chanel sunglasses. She looked impeccably unapproachable.

But it was too late to back out. I pulled the door shut, and she said, “I hope you don’t mind, but we’re meeting downtown. It’s about a half hour away.”

And just like that, my nerves returned. This wasn’t Lena, with her devil-may-care approach to life. This was Elizabeth, who maybe liked me, maybe wanted to be friends.

Or maybe just pitied me. After all, I’d sobbed in her bathroom and sworn at the Bluebonnet meeting. One more strike and I might be out of chances.

We drove out of the neighborhood, two lanes becoming four, and entered the highway, where the number doubled again, with lanes entering and exiting, funneling cars over and across the whole city. Even though we weren’t in the heart of Houston yet, buildings unrolled on either side as far as I could see, just as many and as tall as up north, but with more sky arching above. The vastness of the sky only made the sheer number of houses, apartments, offices, and hospitals that much more staggering.

Big as Texas was, there were plenty of people to fill it up.

As if she knew what I was thinking, Elizabeth said, “There’s so much new construction, even in our neighborhood. The builders promise that people can get their kids into the existing schools, but then we end up rezoning and the protests start.”

“Is that something you think about? The schools?”

Her sunglasses hid her expression, but she hesitated before saying, “Not yet. But it never hurts to plan ahead.”