Then she began taking photographs.
The pool.
The patio.
The rear windows.
Naomi stepped between her and Ava.
“Don't photograph my niece.”
Caroline glared.
“This is HOA evidence.”
My sister shook her head.
“No. It's a child at her own home.”
Caroline ignored her.
She raised the phone again.
Then announced that the family would be removed from the property before the afternoon ended.
I looked toward Ava.
She had stopped crying.
But her face was pale.
I crouched beside her.
“Sweetheart, Aunt Naomi's going to take you inside.”
Ava shook her head immediately.
“No.”
I touched her shoulder.
“It's okay.”
She looked toward Caroline.
“Is she going to take our house?”
My chest tightened.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then I answered firmly.
“No.”
Ava's lips trembled.
“Promise?”
I looked directly into her eyes.
“I promise this is our home, and I'm going to handle the problem.”
She nodded slowly.
Then whispered, “Can you get my towel?”
I looked toward the water.
The turquoise fabric was floating near the deeper end.
“Of course.”
I took the pool net from its hook.
Carefully caught the towel.
Then lifted it from the water.
It dripped across the patio.
I carried it to Ava.
She hugged the wet fabric against her chest.
For a moment, I thought about Grace.
How furious she would have been.
Not because the towel was expensive.
It wasn't.
Because someone had made our child frightened in the one place we'd worked so hard to make safe.
I stood.
Then looked at Caroline.
My voice was quiet.
“You're going to leave now, or you're going to explain to the responding officers why you're still here after being asked repeatedly to go.”
Caroline folded her arms.
“I'm not leaving until the police arrive.”
I nodded.
“Then we'll wait.”
For the next twelve minutes, nobody spoke much.
Naomi moved Ava toward the covered patio.
I stood near the pool steps.
Caroline remained beside a lounge chair, holding her black folder like a badge of office.
She occasionally glanced toward the gate.
I suspected she was imagining the officers arriving, accepting her account, and ordering my family to leave.