“You could say that,” Tina muttered.

“I just moved in last week,” Bette said. “I’ll sort out the landscaping later, I guess.”

“It’s a nice house,” Tina said. “The people that lived there before were great. The Walkers. They went back east.” There. Conversation wasn’t that hard. She used to find chatting much easier than this. She didn’t like this ill-at-ease feeling in the presence of new people. She was usually the one initiating talk like this, not stumbling through it.

Bette nodded. “It’s a great neighborhood as well. People seem very welcoming. I’ve met the Paulsens, the Taylors, the Wisemans…” Bette ticked off the names of some of he families that lived along their street.

“Sorry,” Tina murmured.

Bette raised an eyebrow. “Sorry about what?”

“I’d have come and said hello, but I’ve been…” Tina trailed off.

“Oh, that. Forget it,” Bette grinned at her. “We’ve met now, that’s the main thing, right?”

Tina gave her a faltering smile. “Right.”

“So listen,” Bette said, “I’m having a get together tonight. Not too many people. Kind of a housewarming thing. If you’d like to come…”

Tina furrowed her brow. “Why would you want me there? You don’t even know me.”

Bette looked taken aback by this, and once again Tina kicked herself for being socially ungraceful. She really had forgotten how to talk to people, it seemed.

Bette scanned Tina’s face quickly and recovered herself. “I just thought it might be fun to get to know you and some of the other neighbors better.”

“Of course. You’ll have to forgive me, I’m not used to all of this.”

“All of what?” Bette said with a little smile. “Talking?”

Tina shook her head ruefully and bit her tongue to keep from admitting the truth. She wasn’t used to talking to anyone but Eric these days. But there was no use in digging a deeper hole. She’d have to explain too much.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to your gardening,” Bette said lightly. “I’ll see you around sometime.”

Tina nodded, words failing her once again. “Nice to meet you.”

Bette smiled and walked off, and Tina made a beeline for the side of the house. She rounded the corner and entered the backyard, gathered up her shoes and went back inside. She shut the door firmly behind her, grateful for the cool silence indoors, away from the heat and discomfiture outside.

She went into the bathroom and snapped on the slight and groaned at her reflection. Her bun was a loosened mess, her face and neck slightly pink with sunburn. She washed her hands of the remaining dirt from her impromptu gardening session and Bette’s face materialized in her mind’s eye. She was everything that Tina wasn’t anymore. Pulled together, confident, sure of herself. Very pretty, too. Warm, evenly tanned skin and curly, healthy hair. Tina glanced unwillingly at her reflection again. She looked pale underneath the faint sunburn, and slightly stricken. Her eyes were sad.

She had been unable to carry on some uncomplicated, impersonal chat with her new neighbor. She knew now that she was right in turning down Eric’s invitation to that business party. It would have been a disaster.

Tina went into the bedroom and took off her grass-stained pants and sat on the bed, then after a moment lay down, curling into a protective ball. She’d thought that maybe she was ready to start picking up her life where she’d left it off, but her encounter this afternoon had only proven that she wasn’t close to being ready at all.