“That’s what I’m afraid of losing,” I told Lila.
“Then you know which part matters most,” she said.
The trust had not been created to defeat Brenda.
It existed so children could learn skills that adults had once failed to make available to Mara.
I reminded myself of that whenever another document arrived and another neighbor asked whether the whole street was about to fall apart.
The first serious thunderstorm of August arrived on a Tuesday afternoon.
Dark clouds rolled over Bellwether while the air still felt heavy enough to hold in both hands.
I canceled the evening rescue class before the first distant rumble because our lightning policy required a generous margin of caution.
Most families replied immediately.
One grandmother called to say she appreciated the early notice.
By five the rain was striking the windows so hard that I could no longer see the bird feeder across the yard.
I stood near the back door watching water stream down the slate and into the drainage channel beside the fence.
The channel had been cleaned in spring, but leaves gathered quickly at the grate.
I went outside only after the worst of the lightning had passed and found the outer catch basin nearly blocked by loose branches.
Before I could decide whether it was safe to clear anything, my telephone rang.
It was Isaiah Grant.
“The street drain is backing up by the corner,” he said.
“I’m staying inside until the storm passes.”
“Good,” I replied.
“The city has a stormwater emergency number.”
He had already called.
I returned to the house and checked the water level from the kitchen window.
There was no need to stand outside during a dangerous storm merely to look useful.
The rain eased an hour later, leaving puddles across both yards.
As I checked for damage from a safe distance, I heard a child calling from Brenda’s driveway.
A family attending an impromptu membership information session had become stranded when their car would not start.
The child was frightened by the thunder, though everyone was sheltered in the garage.
I called across the fence to offer them use of my phone if their connection failed.
Brenda emerged and told me to mind my own business.
The father asked her to stop arguing and accepted my offer of an extension cord for his portable jump starter after the rain stopped.
I passed the cord through the gate without inviting anyone near the pool.
