During an evening walk, I stopped in a cul-de-sac to stretch.  

Suddenly, a young girl and her dog bounded outside and planted themselves next to me on the sidewalk, staring ahead into the street.  I thought this was weird until a well-groomed dad appeared from the same driveway, wheeling a portable basketball hoop.  He rolled it to the corner of the cul-de-sac and ran back into the house.  I imagined he was a screenwriter in the middle of something.

The girl started dribbling, and a cat appeared out of nowhere and settled into a good viewing spot.  He watched the girl and ball with great interest.

“Is that your cat?” I asked.

“No, it’s our neighbor’s.  He likes to watch me practice.”

The girl’s dog got bored and went inside, but the cat stayed.