"You need to stop. You've been doing this all week."
"Because leaves keep falling, Nancy. I'm almost finished clearing the patio." Elena coldly replaced her hearing protection and turned her back.
That small, dismissive action transformed Nancy’s irritation into blinding fury. She stepped fully onto the patio and reached for the blower tube.
"Don’t touch my equipment," Elena snapped, pulling it back.
"I’m trying to talk to you!" Nancy grabbed the handle of the blower. For several agonizing seconds, the two women struggled over the vibrating machine.
"Let go!" Elena shouted.
Nancy reached across, her fingers digging hard into Elena’s forearm. "Turn it off!"
Suddenly, the sliding glass door slid open. Maya, Elena's sixteen-year-old daughter, stood there, clutching a small white dog that was barking frantically. "Mom?"
Elena shoved Nancy’s hand away and dropped the blower. It clattered against a patio chair. "You cannot come onto my property and grab me," Elena said, her voice shaking with adrenaline.
"You were provoking me!" Nancy shot back, though she stumbled slightly.
"Get out."
Nancy looked past Elena and saw Sofia sitting at the kitchen table inside. Desperate to be validated, Nancy believed that if she just explained the situation to the older woman, someone would finally understand. She moved past Elena and knocked on the glass. Sofia didn't move.