Gemotions

The water bill was already astronomical. Now this. Maria gripped the hose tighter, her knuckles white. She’d been trying to water the petunias for a half-hour and every time, the same scene. Spot, the beagle, was a menace to the neighborhood.

Her cheeks burned. The spray arced across the lawn, missing the flowers, landing on Spot, who seemed to revel in the unexpected shower. She wanted to yell, to shout.

She clicked her tongue, then, feeling her chest constrict. "Spot, get out of my flower bed!" she called, her voice strained. She hated this.

She turned off the water, the silence hanging heavy in the air.