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“Yes, she’s bringing the doggie coffee. I’m bringing the dog.”

“Are you going to pull in?”

“My car feels too junky for that driveway. I should park on the street.” One time I parked in our driveway at home and my car decided to leak oil all over. Dad poured cat litter on it and kept it like that for several days. This wasn’t a cat-litter-driveway kind of neighborhood. I pulled up to the curb and turned off my car.

Kamala turned into the driveway and parked next to Asher’s Toyota, which was already near the side gate.

“This neighborhood is insane,” Kamala said when I met up with her, Bean and Chad in tow. She was holding a drink carrier full of puppuccinos.

“I know.”

“Hey, Chad,” she said. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

That was for me. It was a reprimand. This was probably her validation that I was going to blow everything up.

She was probably right. Why had I let him come? Chad being here with me would just be more evidence for Dale’s suspicions.

“Hello, Bean,” Kamala said.

He scratched at one of the paving stones as if to show her that he wasn’t interested.

“Maybe you’d be nicer to me if you saw me slaving over your dog drinks.”

“He wouldn’t,” Chad assured her.

“Is one of them dairy-free?” I asked. The white foam topping filled up at least three-quarters of each cup. Kamala liked to brag that they did their doggie coffees different from most places. It wasn’t just the whipped cream—there was a dog-safe drink below that as well.

“Yes, the one that saysBabyon the side is for you.”

I laughed. “If I could control my stomach do you think I would tell it to deprive me of ice cream?”

“Your stomach, the only thing you can’t control.” Kamala gave me her teasing smile.

I wish that was the only thing I couldn’t control. My whole life was feeling pretty out of control at the moment.

We let ourselves through the gate and into Dale’s backyard. It was even more impressive than the front. Large squares of stamped concrete, each one bordered with tightly trimmed grass, surrounded a massive pool, complete with a pool house. Near thepool was a firepit surrounded by stone benches. And on the far side of the yard was an expansive grass area lined with trees and flowers.

That’s where Asher was, along with Dale and Brett. They were setting up a short table made out of a piece of plywood balanced on top of four cinder blocks. It looked out of place in the fancy yard. Asher looked up as we arrived and smiled at me. My stomach gave a surprising jolt and I pressed my palms against it.

Next to me, Kamala raised her eyebrows.

“No comment,” I responded.

“I want to see if this dog likes me,” Brett announced, and he walked our way and sat on the ground at least twenty feet from Bean. “Come here, boy.”

Bean stared, uninterested, then turned a one-eighty, presenting him with his backside.

“Wow,” Brett said, hopping up and walking over. “He didn’t have to make it so obvious.”

“Are you going to drink a dog drink today?” I asked him.

“I’m always up for fun in the name of social media views. Right, Dale?”

Dale, phone already out, joined us in time to hear Brett’s statement. “Everything is about social media views.”

“Well, this is actually for a cause, but sure,” I said.

“Which will only be spread through social media views.”