My new neighbor\u00a0treated my lawn\u00a0as though it\u00a0were her personal\u00a0parking area and\u00a0laughed whenever I\u00a0complained. I decided\u00a0to give her\u00a0a small lesson, never realizing that\u00a0the resentment she\u00a0carried toward me\u00a0had begun fifteen\u00a0years earlier.<\/p>\n
I had lived\u00a0in that house\u00a0for twenty-nine\u00a0years, long enough\u00a0to know which\u00a0floorboard creaked during\u00a0winter and which\u00a0part of the\u00a0garden received the\u00a0first sunlight each\u00a0spring.<\/p>\n
Before Audrey moved\u00a0in, my life\u00a0was pleasantly predictable.<\/p>\n
I had been\u00a0in that house\u00a0for twenty-nine\u00a0years.<\/p>\n
After my husband\u00a0passed away, that\u00a0familiar routine became\u00a0even more meaningful\u00a0to me.<\/p>\n
Taking care of\u00a0the house and\u00a0garden kept my\u00a0hands occupied whenever\u00a0the rooms seemed\u00a0too silent.<\/p>\n
The house also\u00a0held reminders of\u00a0the life I\u00a0had known before\u00a0retirement. One wall\u00a0of my study\u00a0was covered with\u00a0photographs from sporting\u00a0competitions, along with\u00a0old judging credentials, plaques, and more\u00a0awards than I\u00a0ever knew what\u00a0to do with.<\/p>\n
But my garden\u00a0meant more to\u00a0me.<\/p>\n
For years, I\u00a0had traveled from\u00a0one event to\u00a0another, spending weekends\u00a0inside crowded arenas\u00a0with score sheets\u00a0in my hands. These days, I\u00a0hardly gave any\u00a0of that life\u00a0a thought.<\/p>\n
My garden meant\u00a0more to me.<\/p>\n
Every morning, I\u00a0watered the hydrangeas, trimmed whatever needed\u00a0attention, and checked\u00a0on the roses\u00a0my husband had\u00a0planted along the\u00a0fence.<\/p>\n
These days, I\u00a0hardly gave any\u00a0of that life\u00a0a thought.<\/p>\n
Then Audrey moved\u00a0into the house\u00a0next door.<\/p>\n
She looked no\u00a0older than thirty, with shiny dark\u00a0hair and the\u00a0kind of energy\u00a0that could make\u00a0even unpacking moving\u00a0boxes feel like\u00a0a social occasion.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must be\u00a0Helen,\u201d she said\u00a0when we introduced\u00a0ourselves.<\/p>\n
I smiled. \u201cAnd\u00a0you must be\u00a0Audrey.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHave we met?\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, she simply looked\u00a0at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave we met?\u201d I eventually asked.<\/p>\n
Her expression changed\u00a0at once. \u201cNo. Sorry. You just\u00a0look familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn’t think\u00a0much more about\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
At first, Audrey\u00a0seemed friendly enough.<\/p>\n
Then her parties\u00a0began.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just look\u00a0familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Friday nights, music came through\u00a0my bedroom wall. Saturdays brought laughter, shouting, and the\u00a0constant sound of\u00a0car doors closing\u00a0well after midnight.<\/p>\n
I put up\u00a0with that.<\/p>\n
The parking was\u00a0another matter.<\/p>\n
One evening, I\u00a0went outside and\u00a0discovered a silver\u00a0sedan with two\u00a0wheels sitting directly\u00a0on my grass.<\/p>\n
I knocked on\u00a0Audrey\u2019s door.<\/p>\n
I put up\u00a0with that.<\/p>\n
\u201cAudrey, could you\u00a0please ask your\u00a0guests not to\u00a0park on my\u00a0property?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh!\u201d She looked\u00a0past me. \u201cSorry. I’ll tell them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The following weekend, muddy tire marks\u00a0appeared across the\u00a0same section of\u00a0lawn.<\/p>\n
A week later, two of my\u00a0flowers had been\u00a0crushed.<\/p>\n
Then, one Sunday\u00a0morning, I found\u00a0a car blocking\u00a0nearly half of\u00a0my driveway.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very\u2026 traditional.\u201d<\/p>\n
Audrey came outside\u00a0while I was\u00a0looking over the\u00a0damage.<\/p>\n
She glanced toward\u00a0the flower beds\u00a0and smiled. \u201cYou\u00a0really spend a\u00a0lot of time\u00a0taking care of\u00a0this garden.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very\u2026 traditional.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at\u00a0her.<\/p>\n
Audrey hardly knew\u00a0me.<\/p>\n
She shrugged. \u201cI\u00a0suppose when you\u00a0have plenty of\u00a0free time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something about the\u00a0way she said\u00a0it bothered me.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t the\u00a0insult itself.<\/p>\n
It was the\u00a0satisfaction behind it.<\/p>\n
Audrey barely knew\u00a0me. So why\u00a0did getting under\u00a0my skin seem\u00a0to please her\u00a0so much?<\/p>\n
The next weekend\u00a0was even worse.<\/p>\n
The next weekend\u00a0was even worse.<\/p>\n
By Sunday morning, another set of\u00a0tire marks crossed\u00a0my lawn, and\u00a0three stems along\u00a0the flower bed\u00a0had been broken\u00a0nearly down to\u00a0the soil.<\/p>\n
I found Audrey\u00a0outside carrying empty\u00a0bottles toward her\u00a0recycling bin.<\/p>\n
\u201cAudrey, we need\u00a0to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour guests drove\u00a0across my lawn\u00a0again.\u201d<\/p>\n
She sighed before\u00a0I had even\u00a0finished speaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this is\u00a0about the cars\u00a0again\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is. Your\u00a0guests drove over\u00a0my lawn again.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked toward\u00a0the tire marks. \u201cThey’re only here\u00a0for a few\u00a0hours. Nobody is\u00a0getting hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something shifted in\u00a0her expression.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is hurting\u00a0my property, Audrey. I’ve asked you\u00a0more than once.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her lips tightened.<\/p>\n
Something shifted in\u00a0her expression. \u201cYou\u00a0really enjoy telling\u00a0people what they\u00a0can and cannot\u00a0do, don’t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
The comment caught\u00a0me by surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything has to\u00a0happen exactly the\u00a0way you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m asking people\u00a0not to park\u00a0on property that\u00a0belongs to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRules, boundaries, permission.\u201d She laughed briefly. \u201cEverything has to\u00a0happen exactly the\u00a0way you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at\u00a0her. For someone\u00a0I had only\u00a0known for a\u00a0few months, she\u00a0sounded remarkably angry\u00a0with me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I want\u00a0is some basic\u00a0respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Audrey looked me\u00a0over.<\/p>\n
I stared back.<\/p>\n
Then she smiled. \u201cWhat are you\u00a0going to do, grandma?\u201d<\/p>\n
For some reason, those words affected\u00a0me more than\u00a0the insult itself. There was something\u00a0about the way\u00a0she said them\u00a0that felt familiar.<\/p>\n
I stood there\u00a0trying to place\u00a0the memory, but\u00a0it disappeared before\u00a0I could grasp\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
Audrey seemed almost\u00a0satisfied with my\u00a0silence. She turned\u00a0around and went\u00a0inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you\u00a0going to do, grandma?\u201d<\/p>\n
From that point\u00a0on, whatever friendliness\u00a0remained between us\u00a0vanished.<\/p>\n
She began leaving\u00a0her car just\u00a0inches from my\u00a0driveway even when\u00a0there was plenty\u00a0of room elsewhere. Whenever her garbage\u00a0bins somehow ended\u00a0up on my\u00a0side, I pushed\u00a0them directly back.<\/p>\n
Whenever she spotted\u00a0me kneeling among\u00a0the roses, she\u00a0would call out, \u201cStill working on\u00a0your little museum?\u201d<\/p>\n
The following Saturday, Audrey\u2019s guests were\u00a0back on my\u00a0lawn.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill working on\u00a0your little museum?\u201d<\/p>\n
I spotted the\u00a0first vehicle from\u00a0my kitchen window. Ten minutes later, another arrived behind\u00a0it, leaving two\u00a0deep tire marks\u00a0across the grass\u00a0I had spent\u00a0the entire week\u00a0repairing.<\/p>\n
I reached for\u00a0my shoes.<\/p>\n
Then I stopped.<\/p>\n
I was tired\u00a0of going to\u00a0Audrey\u2019s door only\u00a0to watch her\u00a0roll her eyes\u00a0at me.<\/p>\n
My eyes moved\u00a0toward the sprinkler\u00a0controls beside the\u00a0back door.<\/p>\n
I turned the\u00a0dial.<\/p>\n
My husband had\u00a0installed the system\u00a0years before, and\u00a0the sprinkler heads\u00a0along that side\u00a0of the yard\u00a0were still working\u00a0perfectly.<\/p>\n
I turned the\u00a0dial.<\/p>\n
Water sprayed across\u00a0the lawn.<\/p>\n
A woman wearing\u00a0a blue dress\u00a0had just stepped\u00a0out of one\u00a0of the cars\u00a0when the first\u00a0spray hit her\u00a0legs.<\/p>\n
She screamed and\u00a0jumped backward.<\/p>\n
Audrey appeared almost\u00a0instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n
Another guest hurried\u00a0toward Audrey\u2019s porch\u00a0but ended up\u00a0soaked across the\u00a0shoulders. Someone else\u00a0shouted about her\u00a0hair while three\u00a0people rushed to\u00a0move their vehicles.<\/p>\n
I remained by\u00a0my doorway, watching\u00a0the sprinklers sweep\u00a0peacefully from side\u00a0to side.<\/p>\n
Audrey appeared almost\u00a0instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there a\u00a0problem?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHelen!\u201d<\/p>\n
I stepped outside. \u201cIs there a\u00a0problem?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re spraying water\u00a0on my guests!\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked toward\u00a0the lawn. \u201cI’m\u00a0watering my grass.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt night?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt needs water\u00a0at night too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did this\u00a0because of the\u00a0cars.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf your guests\u00a0don’t want to\u00a0get wet, they\u00a0can keep their\u00a0cars off my\u00a0property.\u201d<\/p>\n
Audrey crossed her\u00a0arms.<\/p>\n
Behind her, the\u00a0woman in blue\u00a0hurried toward the\u00a0house, carrying her\u00a0shoes and complaining\u00a0under her breath.<\/p>\n
Audrey crossed her\u00a0arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo this is\u00a0your big revenge?\u201d<\/p>\n
That made me\u00a0smile. \u201cYou think\u00a0you’re very important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her expression hardened.<\/p>\n
Her expression hardened.<\/p>\n
Within a minute, the remaining vehicles\u00a0had been moved\u00a0away from my\u00a0lawn.<\/p>\n
I turned off\u00a0the sprinklers and\u00a0went back inside.<\/p>\n
Audrey probably believed\u00a0she had just\u00a0seen the worst\u00a0thing I was\u00a0capable of.<\/p>\n
She was wrong.<\/p>\n
Then I noticed\u00a0the paint cans.<\/p>\n
Compared with what\u00a0I had actually\u00a0been thinking about, the sprinkler incident\u00a0was hardly an\u00a0inconvenience.<\/p>\n
For the next\u00a0few days, Audrey\u00a0avoided me.<\/p>\n
Then I noticed\u00a0the paint cans.<\/p>\n
She had moved\u00a0much of the\u00a0furniture from her\u00a0porch and covered\u00a0the steps with\u00a0drop cloths. By\u00a0lunchtime, the old\u00a0cream-colored railings\u00a0had been transformed\u00a0into a bright, glossy white.<\/p>\n
This mattered.<\/p>\n
Apparently, she was\u00a0preparing for another\u00a0party.<\/p>\n
This mattered.<\/p>\n
Audrey cleaned the\u00a0porch boards, polished\u00a0the windows, changed\u00a0the cushions on\u00a0her outdoor chairs, and spent what\u00a0seemed like forever\u00a0arranging lanterns until\u00a0everything looked exactly\u00a0right.<\/p>\n
I watched from\u00a0my garden while\u00a0pretending to remove\u00a0dead flowers.<\/p>\n
\u201cBig improvement, don’t\u00a0you think?\u201d<\/p>\n
She noticed me\u00a0watching. \u201cBig improvement, don’t you think?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very white.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the point.\u201d She glanced toward\u00a0my flower beds. \u201cSome people prefer\u00a0things a little\u00a0more modern.\u201d<\/p>\n
I cut away\u00a0a wilted flower. \u201cSome of us\u00a0prefer things that\u00a0are alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her smile became\u00a0thinner.<\/p>\n
Her smile became\u00a0thinner. \u201cYour old-lady garden certainly\u00a0is alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
I ignored her\u00a0and reached for\u00a0the watering can.<\/p>\n
That was when\u00a0a sparrow landed\u00a0beside my shoe.<\/p>\n
Another hopped beneath\u00a0the feeder near\u00a0the fence.<\/p>\n
Then three more\u00a0appeared in the\u00a0maple tree above\u00a0us.<\/p>\n
A plan began\u00a0to form.<\/p>\n
I looked at\u00a0the birds.<\/p>\n
Then I looked\u00a0at Audrey\u2019s spotless\u00a0white porch.<\/p>\n
A plan began\u00a0to form.<\/p>\n
By the time\u00a0Audrey left in\u00a0her car that\u00a0afternoon, I was\u00a0already heading toward\u00a0the shed.<\/p>\n
I filled both\u00a0bird feeders completely\u00a0and scattered additional\u00a0seed along my\u00a0side of the\u00a0garden, closest to\u00a0her porch.<\/p>\n
I was halfway\u00a0through the bag\u00a0when someone cleared\u00a0her throat behind\u00a0me.<\/p>\n
Carol stood by\u00a0the gate, looking\u00a0at the birdseed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelen.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned. Carol\u00a0was standing at\u00a0the gate, staring\u00a0at the seed.<\/p>\n
Then she looked\u00a0toward Audrey\u2019s porch\u00a0and back at\u00a0me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is an\u00a0awful lot of\u00a0birdseed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBirds need to\u00a0eat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re planning something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carol crossed her\u00a0arms. \u201cYou\u2019re planning\u00a0something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no\u00a0idea what you’re\u00a0talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n
The corner of\u00a0her mouth moved.<\/p>\n
Another idea suddenly\u00a0came to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you free\u00a0tomorrow afternoon?\u201d<\/p>\n
Carol narrowed her\u00a0eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat depends.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTea. Three o\u2019clock.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carol narrowed her\u00a0eyes again. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo I need\u00a0a reason?\u201d<\/p>\n
Apparently, I didn’t.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you free\u00a0tomorrow afternoon?\u201d<\/p>\n
By dinner, I\u00a0had invited Carol, Margaret, and Louise.<\/p>\n
Each of them\u00a0had complained about\u00a0Audrey\u2019s music, guests, or cars blocking\u00a0the street. None\u00a0of them knew\u00a0why I had\u00a0chosen that particular\u00a0time.<\/p>\n
For once, I\u00a0was the one\u00a0keeping something secret.<\/p>\n
And surprisingly, I\u00a0enjoyed it.<\/p>\n
At three o\u2019clock, Carol arrived first.<\/p>\n
I enjoyed it\u00a0more than I\u00a0probably should have.<\/p>\n
She took one\u00a0look at the\u00a0untouched birdseed beneath\u00a0the feeders and\u00a0raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is your\u00a0grand plan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHave some tea.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret and Louise\u00a0arrived a few\u00a0minutes later, and\u00a0before long, the\u00a0four of us\u00a0were sitting around\u00a0my garden table\u00a0with tea, sandwiches, and absolutely nothing\u00a0exciting happening.<\/p>\n
Louise pointed toward\u00a0the fence.<\/p>\n
Across the fence, Audrey hurried back\u00a0and forth between\u00a0the house and\u00a0porch, carrying flowers, wiping the railings, and rearranging decorations\u00a0for what seemed\u00a0like the tenth\u00a0time.<\/p>\n
I looked toward\u00a0the maple tree.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
Then Louise pointed\u00a0toward the fence.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Birds began dropping\u00a0into the garden.<\/p>\n
A sparrow landed\u00a0beneath the feeder. Then another.<\/p>\n
Within minutes, the\u00a0branches above us\u00a0were moving with\u00a0birds. They pecked\u00a0at the seed\u00a0scattered near the\u00a0boundary before flying\u00a0back toward the\u00a0trees.<\/p>\n
Carol covered her\u00a0mouth with her\u00a0hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, this is\u00a0terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carol covered her\u00a0mouth with her\u00a0hand.<\/p>\n
She was smiling\u00a0as she said\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
The first white\u00a0railing received a\u00a0direct hit.<\/p>\n
Then another.<\/p>\n
Margaret nearly choked\u00a0on her tea.<\/p>\n
Before long, the\u00a0once-perfect porch\u00a0was anything but\u00a0spotless.<\/p>\n
I tried to\u00a0remain dignified.<\/p>\n
I failed.<\/p>\n
Audrey stepped outside\u00a0carrying a tray\u00a0of glasses.<\/p>\n
She stopped.<\/p>\n
Carol suddenly became\u00a0fascinated by her\u00a0teacup.<\/p>\n
For several seconds, Audrey simply stared.<\/p>\n
Slowly, she lowered\u00a0the tray.<\/p>\n
Her eyes traveled\u00a0across the railing, the steps, and\u00a0the cushions.<\/p>\n
Then she looked\u00a0across the lawn.<\/p>\n
Directly at me.<\/p>\n
Carol suddenly became\u00a0fascinated by her\u00a0teacup.<\/p>\n
Audrey placed the\u00a0tray down so\u00a0forcefully that one\u00a0of the glasses\u00a0tipped over.<\/p>\n
Then she marched\u00a0across the yard.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI fed them.\u201d<\/p>\n
I folded my\u00a0hands in my\u00a0lap. \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
She pointed toward\u00a0the porch. \u201cYou\u00a0did this.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at\u00a0the birds. \u201cI\u00a0fed them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew exactly\u00a0what was going\u00a0to happen!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI suspected.\u201d<\/p>\n
For one wonderful\u00a0second, nobody at\u00a0the table spoke.<\/p>\n
For one wonderful\u00a0second, nobody at\u00a0the table spoke.<\/p>\n
Audrey looked from\u00a0me to the\u00a0other women, and\u00a0her expression changed.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t only\u00a0anger.<\/p>\n
There was something\u00a0older in it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really enjoy\u00a0doing this, don’t\u00a0you?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
I frowned. \u201cDoing\u00a0what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes met\u00a0mine.<\/p>\n
Her eyes met\u00a0mine. \u201cActing like\u00a0you don’t know\u00a0what you’ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly is\u00a0that supposed to\u00a0mean?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Audrey laughed once, but there was\u00a0no humor in\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always liked\u00a0making people feel\u00a0small.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know\u00a0what you’re talking\u00a0about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carol shifted in\u00a0her chair.<\/p>\n
I stood. \u201cI\u00a0don’t know what\u00a0you’re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course you\u00a0don’t. You never\u00a0do. You make\u00a0your decision, hide\u00a0behind the rules, and everyone else\u00a0has to deal\u00a0with the consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n
That word again.<\/p>\n
Rules.<\/p>\n
I felt my\u00a0confusion turning into\u00a0irritation.<\/p>\n
I felt my\u00a0confusion turning into\u00a0irritation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAudrey, either tell\u00a0me what you\u00a0mean or stop\u00a0talking in riddles.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared at\u00a0me.<\/p>\n
Then her expression\u00a0changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really don’t\u00a0remember me, do\u00a0you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Something in her\u00a0voice silenced everyone\u00a0at the table.<\/p>\n
I studied her\u00a0face, but nothing\u00a0came to mind.<\/p>\n
I studied her\u00a0face, but nothing\u00a0came to mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cRegional Qualifier,\u201d she\u00a0said. \u201cFifteen years\u00a0ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words reached\u00a0me first.<\/p>\n
Then came flashes.<\/p>\n
Bright lights.<\/p>\n
Score sheets.<\/p>\n
Coaches crowded around\u00a0the barriers.<\/p>\n
My old judging\u00a0badge clipped to\u00a0my jacket.<\/p>\n
Audrey stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople were saying\u00a0I might actually\u00a0have a future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was seventeen. People were saying\u00a0I might actually\u00a0have a future.\u201d<\/p>\n
And then I\u00a0remembered the decision.<\/p>\n
A technical violation.<\/p>\n
An automatic penalty.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were that\u00a0girl?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou disqualified me. I begged you\u00a0afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Audrey\u2019s voice became\u00a0quieter.<\/p>\n
The memory returned\u00a0more slowly.<\/p>\n
A teenage girl\u00a0crying outside the\u00a0judges\u2019 room.<\/p>\n
Me, exhausted after\u00a0a full day\u00a0of arguments and\u00a0appeals.<\/p>\n
Audrey\u2019s voice became\u00a0quieter.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou looked at\u00a0me and said, \u2018What are you\u00a0going to do, girl?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why you\u00a0said it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suddenly, everything she\u00a0had said weeks\u00a0earlier made sense.<\/p>\n
What are you\u00a0going to do, grandma?<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why you\u00a0said it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sank back\u00a0against the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ruling was\u00a0still correct.\u201d<\/p>\n
Audrey told me\u00a0what happened afterward.<\/p>\n
Her opportunity disappeared.<\/p>\n
A sponsor lost\u00a0interest.<\/p>\n
Her coach began\u00a0concentrating on another\u00a0athlete.<\/p>\n
She competed again, but without success, and eventually left\u00a0the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spent years\u00a0believing that was\u00a0when everything ended.\u201d<\/p>\n
I swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ruling was\u00a0still correct.\u201d<\/p>\n
Audrey told me\u00a0what happened afterward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew that\u00a0would be your\u00a0answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what I\u00a0said after the\u00a0ruling wasn’t right.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were seventeen. I treated you\u00a0like another complaint\u00a0I needed to\u00a0dismiss. I shouldn’t\u00a0have done that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence settled over\u00a0the table.<\/p>\n
Then another thought\u00a0came to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew who\u00a0I was when\u00a0you moved in?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew who\u00a0I was when\u00a0you moved in?\u201d<\/p>\n
Audrey nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first, the\u00a0parties were just\u00a0parties. Then I\u00a0realized how much\u00a0the parking bothered\u00a0you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you deliberately\u00a0kept doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She didn’t answer.<\/p>\n
Her silence was\u00a0enough.<\/p>\n
I pointed toward\u00a0the damaged edge\u00a0of my flower\u00a0bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid that make\u00a0you feel better?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid that make\u00a0you feel better?\u201d<\/p>\n
Audrey looked at\u00a0the crushed flowers.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced toward\u00a0her ruined white\u00a0porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, covering my\u00a0yard with birdseed\u00a0hasn’t exactly made\u00a0me look mature\u00a0either.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCovering my yard\u00a0with birdseed hasn’t\u00a0exactly made me\u00a0look mature either.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first\u00a0time since she\u00a0had approached us, Audrey almost smiled.<\/p>\n
Not because everything\u00a0was suddenly repaired.<\/p>\n
But because neither\u00a0of us could\u00a0keep pretending that\u00a0the argument had\u00a0ever really been\u00a0about parking.<\/p>\n
Audrey turned toward\u00a0her house.<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked back\u00a0at her damaged\u00a0white porch.<\/p>\n
She stopped.<\/p>\n
Fifteen years earlier, I had watched\u00a0a crying seventeen-year-old walk\u00a0away because I\u00a0had been too\u00a0exhausted and impatient\u00a0to care about\u00a0what happened after\u00a0my decision.<\/p>\n
I wasn’t going\u00a0to make that\u00a0mistake again.<\/p>\n
I pulled out\u00a0the empty chair\u00a0beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cSit down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Audrey glanced at\u00a0the other women, then at me.<\/p>\n
After a moment, she sat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe both made\u00a0a mess.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I\u00a0said. \u201cNot for\u00a0the ruling itself. But for what\u00a0I said afterward. You deserved better\u00a0from me.\u201d<\/p>\n
She slowly nodded.<\/p>\n
Margaret quietly poured\u00a0her a cup\u00a0of tea.<\/p>\n
For a moment, none of us\u00a0said anything.<\/p>\n
Audrey looked toward\u00a0her stained white\u00a0porch.<\/p>\n
I looked toward\u00a0the damaged edge\u00a0of my garden.<\/p>\n
She sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I suppose\u00a0we both know\u00a0where to start.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe both made\u00a0a mess.\u201d<\/p>\n
I picked up\u00a0my cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I suppose\u00a0we both know\u00a0where to start.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My new neighbor\u00a0treated my lawn\u00a0as though it\u00a0were her personal\u00a0parking area and\u00a0laughed whenever I\u00a0complained. I decided\u00a0to give her\u00a0a small lesson, never realizing that\u00a0the resentment she\u00a0carried toward me\u00a0had begun fifteen\u00a0years earlier. I had lived\u00a0in that house\u00a0for twenty-nine\u00a0years, long enough\u00a0to know which\u00a0floorboard creaked during\u00a0winter and which\u00a0part of the\u00a0garden received the\u00a0first sunlight each\u00a0spring. Before Audrey moved\u00a0in, my life\u00a0was pleasantly…<\/p>\n