My neighbor let her dog use my lawn as a toilet every morning for six months and never cleaned up once — I stayed polite until she made one comment I couldn’t forget, and by the next morning I’d taught her a lesson without raising my voice once.

house.

And walked home.

She had seen it.

I cleaned it again.

I said nothing.

Why?

Because we lived twelve feet apart.

Because I had children.

Because I had seen small neighborhood disagreements turn into years of hostility.

I didn’t want that.

So I told myself she probably wasn’t thinking.

Then I told myself maybe she was embarrassed.

Then maybe she would start bringing bags.

Then maybe it would stop.

I told myself many things during the next six months.

Meanwhile, every morning around 7:40, Winston crossed onto my