My neighbor tore up my lawn with his motorcycle and acted like it was nothing — the next morning, a little “surprise” was waiting for him.

was going to damage something important to someone.

And when it happened, he would shrug.

I simply didn’t know the important thing would belong to me.

It happened on a Saturday afternoon near the end of September.

The garden was still beautiful.

Autumn had begun changing the light, but the first frost hadn’t arrived yet.

The red and yellow flowers were in their final bright weeks.

I was making tea when I heard Kyle’s motorcycle.

The engine grew louder.

Too loud.

He was accelerating when he should have been slowing