A number of people hovered around a huge barbeque pit, where hot dogs and hamburgers sizzled over an open fire, and others were playing volleyball. Most were content just to socialize. A number of children were playing on swing sets, hanging on the jungle gym, or climbŹing on a variety of playground equipment. Allison wanted to play in the huge sandbox, and so Sally and Jennifer found a picnic table in a nearŹby shady area and settled down. For the next hour, they filled up on hot dogs and Coke until they all had eaten more than enough. While Allison and Tommy played in the sand, Jennifer found herself chatting easily with many of her classmates that she’d met with the night before. She spotted Sheila easily. Whether out of embarŹrassment, anger, or frustration, Jen decided to ignore her. She was aware that Bobby was nearby because she heard his loud voice often, but she saw no eviŹdence of their three little boys in attendance. The two sisters sat companionably, keeping an eye on both children and occasionally chatting with others who stopped by to greet them.
