At dinner, Natia was a delight, and Simone tried valiantly not to think of herself as some kind of awkward harpy in comparison. Dinner might have been takeout pizza, but between Mrs. Tadesse’s salad and the fact that Natia brought out real plates and glasses for the sweet tea and lemonade, it felt like the weirdest cross between a dinner party and a casual night in. They brought it all out on the porch so the adults could sit on the swing and lounge chairs and the kids could roll around in the grass.