February 15

We moved to our house in 1985, and Walter was already living across the street. He got married and had a daughter and his family and ours feel into an easy friendship. The kind where you just KNOW they can get your mail and feed the cat while you're gone. The kind where impromptu dinner invitations were the norm. The kind where we looked out for each other.

They sent us flowers when our 20-year-old cat died. They put Thanksgiving dinner in our refrigerator once when we were traveling home on the holiday. You know someone like that.

And, now they are moving to Tulsa: the SOLD sign makes it real.

It won't ever be a real neighborhood again.

Lubbock, Texas