Apparently, trespassing had become community wellness.
“It’s healthy having neighbors enjoy the space.”
Brandon inherited every one of her habits.
He never asked. He assumed.
If a basketball rolled into my yard, he’d leave through the gate carrying one of my pool towels.
If Denise wanted to sunbathe, she’d text me afterward.
Hope you don’t mind! 😊
The smiley face somehow made it worse.
The final straw arrived three weeks ago.
He never asked. He assumed.
My daughter Phoebe called me at six in the morning.
“Mom…” Her voice shook. “The surgery’s been moved up.”
She and her husband had three young children.
I didn’t hesitate. “I’ll be there in an hour.”
I packed an overnight bag, checked the pool chemicals one last time, locked the gate, and drove two hours to Phoebe’s house.
“I’ll be there in an hour.”
***
Her surgery went well.
The grandchildren kept me wonderfully exhausted.
We built blanket forts. Made dinosaur-shaped pancakes.
Watched the same animated movie four times because my youngest grandson insisted the turtle “needed another chance.”
By the time Phoebe could finally move around comfortably again, I’d been gone almost three days.
I’d been gone almost three days.
As I turned onto my street, I smiled.
Home.
I couldn’t wait to sit beside Chuck’s pool with a cup of iced tea.
Then I pulled into my driveway. Something looked wrong immediately.
The backyard gate stood slightly open.
Chuck never left gates open.
Neither did I.
My heart raced.
Chuck never left gates open.
I hurried through the side gate.
For a moment, I simply stood there.
Wet towels covered the patio furniture.
Pizza boxes lay crushed beneath one of the lounge chairs.
Confetti clung to every flower bed.
Plastic cups floated lazily across the surface of the pool.
Confetti clung to every flower bed.
Someone had tossed an inflatable flamingo into the deep end.
Empty soda cans lined the coping like decorative ornaments.
The flower pots Chuck built from old whiskey barrels had been knocked over. One actually had a footprint across the side.
I looked around slowly.
It wasn’t just messy. It looked… Used. Abandoned. Disrespected.
And DESTROYED.
It looked… Used.
I quietly walked inside. Set my suitcase down. Then opened the security camera app.
The footage began the afternoon after I’d left.
At first, it was only Brandon.
He unlocked my gate. Walked in carrying three folding tables.
Then came coolers. Speakers. More teenagers.
Cars lined the street.
By sunset, there had to be 30 people in my backyard.
By sunset, there had to be 30 people in my backyard.
Somebody jumped from my waterfall.
Another boy balanced on Chuck’s outdoor table pretending to surf.
One girl actually used my flower bed as a chair.
I rubbed my forehead. Then I heard a voice.
“Dude…” One teenager looked around nervously. “Doesn’t the owner know?”
Brandon laughed. “The old lady’s out of town.”
“Doesn’t the owner know?”
Another boy asked, “What if she comes home?”
Brandon shrugged. “My mom said don’t worry.”
He imitated Denise almost perfectly.
“‘The old lady won’t do anything.'”
Laughter exploded across my television.
Then Denise herself walked into the frame carrying two pizzas.
“‘The old lady won’t do anything.'”
She waved at everyone.
“Who’s hungry?”
The teenagers cheered.
One of them actually shouted, “Best mom ever!”
Denise bowed dramatically.
I paused the video. Stared at the screen. Then slowly smiled.
Not because I was happy. Because something occurred to me.
“Best mom ever!”
Calling the police would cost Brandon a frightening afternoon.
Sending Denise a lawyer’s letter would cost her money.
Neither would change the one thing that actually needed changing.
Their thinking.
I looked out the kitchen window toward Chuck’s pool.
Then toward the pool shed.
A very interesting idea began taking shape.
A very interesting idea began taking shape.
Chuck would’ve laughed himself silly.
“Oh…” I whispered. “I know exactly what Saturdays look like, honey.”
And before Denise and Brandon used my pool again… they were about to find out too.
***
The next morning, I watched Brandon and Denise drive away, Denise shrieking into her phone that they were off to spend two whole days at her sister’s house.
