M
ary had never seen so many people out and about in her neighborhood at once. Sure, she lived in an active city, but it seemed everyone on her street had decided to be outside: there was Mrs. Johnson from the house on the end of the cul-de-sac, and Matthew Case with his dog Piper, and even the adorable little H family, named for the giant wooden H that hung on their front door. True, it was a little jarring to see everyone out today since Mary considered herself a bit of an introvert. While she did know a lot about her neighbors just from observation, she’d never said more than a few words to any of them at one time. A simple “How are you?” and “Good!” repeated over and over again until they all either moved or died. But it was a nice day out today, so why shouldn’t they all be enjoying it? The sun is shining brightly, there’s a light breeze blowing just enough to ruffle her hair; it’s a serene and a peaceful Saturday. She’d been awake all night, hard at work, but by all definitions, it was a lovely day. Maybe that’s what causes Mary to step out of her shell a little bit. “Howdy neighbor!” She greeted as she approached Mr. Case and Piper. The little Shih Tzu tugged on her leash to get closer, happily licking at Mary’s palms as she crouched down to pet the pup. “Mr. Case?” Mary asked, tilting her head as she glanced up at him. The man was staring at her blankly, appearing almost frozen in place. He had one arm outstretched, looking to all the world like he was going to shake her hand. “Well, it was good to see you,” Mary hummed, reaching out to shake his hand. “You might want to give Piper a bath—she’s a little dirty.” She quickly dropped his hand and continued her leisurely stroll down her street as the man squatted down to pet Piper. The H family’s house was next, the beautiful front lawn covered in children’s toys—dolls and toy cars and colorful balls of all shapes and sizes. Mary loved observing the little H family with their young love and even younger children. It was sweet, if a little painful—a reminder of all the things Mary would never have. Now, though, the children laughed and squealed as they pushed each other on the tire swing hanging from the tall oak tree in their front yard. “Good morning,” Mary said gleefully, waving to the children as she approached. They hopped from the swing at the sight of her, shrieking joyfully as they
Within Sanity’s Stroll
Dorothy Shytles
47
