Regina stood in the middle of the driveway wearing a victorious smile as thick gray concrete poured over the old Chevrolet parked beside the fence. She had spent months complaining that the aging car lowered the value of the neighborhood, and now she watched without a trace of guilt while her husband emptied load after load from the cement mixer. The mother shouted for them to stop, but Regina ignored every plea, convinced she would finally get rid of the vehicle she called an eyesore. Harper, standing quietly beside her mother, watched the rotating chute with unusual focus instead of the ruined car.

Then Regina suddenly stopped shouting. Her smile vanished as her eyes drifted toward her own house. Without another word, she sprinted across the gravel, robe flying behind her, while Harper calmly pointed toward the second floor. The mother followed Regina’s terrified gaze and froze when she finally saw what had happened to the balcony…