“Oh, why thank you! I’m Danny, this is my beautiful wife, Cindy, and our son, Kevin,” Danny said, taking the rest of the gifts. Again, Tommy and Kevin gave each other a discreet nod of acknowledgment and a friendly smile.

“Great to meet you all. I’m John, and this is my wife, Judy, and son, Tommy. Seeing as our houses share a border, we thought it only fitting that we have a barbecue there to welcome you to the neighborhood and better acquaint ourselves with each other. Saturday afternoon. What do you think?” John said.

“It seems like a fine idea. Thank you, John,” Danny said.

“Alright, very well then. Guess we’ll see you there,” John concluded.

“Guess you will. Thanks again,” Danny concluded.

Later that night, Danny and Cindy were preparing for bed. Cindy washed her face in the bathroom while Danny lay on the bed in contemplative thought.

“I told you the new neighbors would be nice,” Cindy said from the bathroom.

“Funny, I don’t remember you saying that,” Danny retorted.

“Listen, all I’m saying is they aren’t as bad as you’d feared. I believe the word you used was…’intrusive,’” Cindy added, walking into the room and joining Danny in bed.

“I don’t know about you, but bombarding us at our doorstep with a league of overcooked casseroles is a tiny bit intrusive. Just a bit,” Danny said with a cheeky smile.

Cindy chuckled, saying, “Oh, wow! Is this really the man I married?! We are in suburbia, my love. That’s how things work here. And I really think it was sweet. The city can be so distant, cold, and guarded. I like this,” Cindy said with a hopeful smile.

“Yeah. Jokes aside, I like it too,” Danny said before continuing with a doubtful grimace, “What about that John fellow, though?”

“Oh, the Summers family. They’re nice,” Cindy simply replied.

“I guess. I’m just not sure about how he said, ‘Guess we’ll see you there.’ He didn’t give us much of a choice, did he?” Danny said.

“It was a friendly invite, Danny!” Cindy said, laughing at her husband’s paranoia. “Enough of that now. Let’s get some shut-eye. Goodnight, my love,” Cindy concluded, kissing her husband.

“Goodnight, darling,” he replied.

A few days passed, and it was finally the Saturday of the barbecue. The families set up the barbecue in the large lawn space that bordered the Summers and Johnson homes.

The barbecue was beautifully set up by both the Johnson and Summers family. All of the neighborhood came out to meet and greet their new neighbors.