Or so Marcus assumed.
Gloria disagreed.
“No.”
Marcus looked at his mother.
“What?”
“We are not ending my birthday because that woman cannot behave.”
“Mom.”
“Food inside?”
“Some.”
“Grill still works?”
“Yes.”
“Then clean a section and keep cooking.”
Danielle smiled.
“That’s your mother.”
Marcus looked toward the garbage.
“We need to preserve some of this.”
“Preserve whatever the police said.”
Gloria pointed at the grill.
“But those burgers have suffered enough.”
Samuel nodded solemnly.
“Finally.”
Marcus laughed.
Twenty minutes later, the family moved the food preparations inside.
Fresh plates.
New serving utensils.
The contaminated dishes were discarded.
A professional cleanup company would handle the yard the next morning.
They ate indoors.
Not the afternoon Marcus planned.
But still together.
Gloria opened gifts.
Samuel complained about Marcus’s burgers again.
Maya played music.
By sunset, laughter returned.
Marcus sat on the back step alone for a few minutes.
Danielle joined him.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Marcus looked at her.
“You always do that.”
“You married me.”
He smiled.
She rested her head against his shoulder.
“What are you thinking?”
“That I knew Brenda hated losing appeals.”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t know she was willing to manufacture evidence.”
Danielle looked toward the fence.
“You don’t know that yet.”
“Tyler said evidence.”
“I know.”
“Four houses.”
“I know.”
“Repeat problems.”
“I know.”
Marcus exhaled.
“You’re right.”
Danielle smiled.
“What?”
“You want me to say it again?”
“Yes.”
“You’re right.”
“Beautiful.”
He laughed.
She became serious.
“What do we do?”
Marcus looked toward the ruined cookout.
“Compare notes.”
“With who?”
He looked toward Carlos’s house.
“Him.”
Then Helen’s.
“Her.”
Denise.
Frank.
“All four.”
Sunday afternoon, they met in Marcus’s dining room.
No HOA board.
No attorneys.
No social media.
Just five homeowners and Danielle.
Marcus placed his violation folder on the table.
Carlos brought his.
Helen arrived carrying an accordion file thick enough to be threatening.
Frank carried a laptop.
Denise brought screenshots.
Danielle set coffee down.
Marcus looked around.
“Anyone else feel ridiculous?”
Carlos laughed.
“I feel vindicated.”
Helen opened her file.
“I feel organized.”
Frank pointed.
“Never challenge a retired pharmacist with documentation.”
Denise smiled.
“I feel angry.”
That was the honest answer.
Marcus nodded.