You’re invited! Summer BBQ at Vanessa’s. Saturday, August 3rd, 4 p.m. Food, drinks, fun. The whole neighborhood is coming! Can’t wait to see you there. — V.
Irvin showed it to me at the kitchen table. He was frowning.
“The whole neighborhood,” he said. “She invited the Pratts and the Johnsons and the Kowalskis. I asked. Everybody on the street got one.” He tapped the card. “Everybody but you.”
“I see that.”
“I’m not going,” Irvin said. He pushed the card away. “I’m not going to a party you weren’t invited to. That’s ridiculous.”
I looked at the card for a long time.
Then I smiled.
“Actually,” I said. “I think you should go.”
He stared at me.
“Jan—”
“Go,” I said. “Be nice. Be polite. Eat her potato salad. Talk to the neighbors.” I picked up the card and looked at the little blue flowers. “And half an hour after it starts, I’m going to come over.”
