I run a hand over my face. I’m too old for this. I’m too tired for this. I’m too Lanni-phobic for this

AM

I totally biased if I say that my daughter is a sweetheart?

I'm pretending to wash dishes as I watch the neighborhood clique split up for jump rope circles. Laykie Taub is picking teams and of course Sori is picked right away. But she reaches over and grabs Toby Tropper’s hand before flashing Laykie a thumbs-up. Gosh, if I had half her confidence, PTA would be much more enjoyable.

Toby smiles gratefully at Sori.

“Spying on the kids again?” asks a voice in my ear.

I give a little shriek and drop a spatula into the sink. It bobs happily around in a bed of soap bubbles while I try to fish it out.

“Koby, you scared me half to death.”

My husband grins. “C’mon, you totally were spying on them. Sori is great, no? What are you expecting to see?”

I rinse the cutlery and set them into the drain rack.

“Nothing to do with Sori. Lanni Tropper called me again to complain that her Toby is being bullied and she ‘highly suspects’ Sori has something to do with it.”

Koby snorts and reaches for a bag of chips. “Yeah, right.”

I sigh. “You know, it’s funny. Lanni is so overprotective of Toby, always hovering and micromanaging. But in school, Toby seems totally regular. Like, you barely sense any social issues at all.”

Koby raises his eyebrows. “Sounds like someone might be creating issues where there are none.”

I’m not one to wash dishes and gossip, but I’m pretty sure Koby just hit the nail on the head.