Gemotions

"Excuse me," a high-pitched voice piped. Sarah turned to find little Timmy, that rambunctious kid next door, accompanied by his overly enthusiastic mother. Sarah knew what was coming.

"Sarah, sweetie," the mother chirped. "Timmy and I were just admiring your beautiful vegetable patch! Timmy's really interested in gardening. Would you consider letting us use a little corner for our own little patch? Just a tiny bit!"

Sarah's hand flew to her chest, as if warding off an attack. Her eyes narrowed. "A little corner?" she repeated, her voice laced with incredulity. "My vegetables take months of care. I've been planning this all season."

She shifted her weight, the carefully laid pavers of her patio suddenly feeling uneven beneath her feet. "It's not just a 'little corner'," she thought. She saw the potential chaos of a child's garden infiltrating her carefully cultivated space.