Chapter 2 - Crossing the Line
I was making sandwiches the next afternoon when I heard shouting.
Not the children.
An adult voice, sharp and angry.
I dropped the knife and hurried outside.
Katherine stood beside the pool with her arms crossed, glaring down at my youngest.
The gate behind her was wide open.
She had walked straight into my backyard without permission.
“What’s going on?” I asked, stepping between her and my children. “Did something happen?”
“Your kids are TOO LOUD,” she snapped. “I want some peace and quiet. Is that too much to ask?”
I looked at my four children.
They stood dripping beside the pool, completely silent, their faces pale.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “I’ll ask them to keep it down.”
The apology tasted bitter.
I had been inside the whole time.
There had been nothing beyond splashing and laughter.
My children knew they were not allowed to scream.
They knew the rules.
Still, I apologized.
Like I always did.
“See that you do,” Katherine replied, turning away.
She paused at the gate, gave me a hard look, then marched out as though the yard belonged to her.
I knelt beside my oldest.
“Mom, we weren’t yelling,” she whispered. “We promise.”
“I know, sweetheart,” I said. “I know.”
That was what bothered me most.
I knew they had done nothing wrong.
And I had still said sorry.
That night, after putting the children to bed, I stayed alone at the kitchen table.
I thought about Steve.
And I promised myself tomorrow would be different.
The following afternoon, the kids swam again.
This time I sat outside and watched.
They splashed.
They laughed.
But they never screamed.
Across the fence, Katherine’s curtains moved.
I could see her shape behind the glass.
“She’s spying on us again,” my son muttered.
“Just ignore her,” I said. “She has nothing better to do.”
No complaint came that day.
For a while, I thought maybe it was over.
Then later, through the kitchen window, I saw Katherine pacing inside with a phone to her ear, pointing repeatedly toward my yard.
May you like
I ignored it.
That was my mistake.
