Gemotions

The paperwork lay on the kitchen table, a crisp white rectangle that seemed to radiate disapproval. She reread the neighbor’s letter, each word a judgmental jab. The fence would be a "benefit" for both properties, it said. A benefit!

She'd thought she and Mrs. Gable had a friendly, if distant, relationship. Now this, a blatant invasion.

Her hands trembled as she reached for the phone. She wanted to call her husband, to vent, but the words caught in her throat. She imagined Mrs. Gable watching from her window, already anticipating a battle. The thought made her skin prickle with heat. She closed her eyes, the image of a looming fence line already imprinted on her eyelids.