There go my neighbours on their daily walk. I always greet them when they pass by my house. Juan Manuel and Nena have lived in this neighbourhood for years. We are the newcomers, and our first greeting was the beginning of something we hadn’t imagined.

In her article on singleness, Stephanie Fast raises the issue of reciprocity. One of the challenges of being single, she says, can be asking others for help with practical matters, knowing the favour isn’t able to be returned. This requires a certain degree of vulnerability, making it easier at times to hire needed help rather than ask.