“Then you’re especially qualified to complain about naps.”

At the first meeting, nobody asked what my husband had done.

They wanted to know whether the girls liked the park, how I handled two car seats in the rain, and whether I had tried the library’s free story hour.

It was a relief to be known for something other than betrayal.

Nina had a son who liked to crawl backward under furniture.

Another parent, Jo, brought a thermos of tea and admitted that she sometimes hid in the pantry for two minutes of quiet.