“That’s Karen Wilkins,” their next-door neighbor, Darnell, told them later. “Vice president of the HOA. Self-appointed guardian of civilization.”
“Is she always like that?” Lena asked.
Darnell gave a tired laugh.
“She once reported my wind chimes for aggressive noise behavior.”
Jake thought he was joking.
He was not.
Within the first week, Karen Wilkins had commented on their mailbox, their welcome mat, their temporary trash bins, the angle of their porch chairs, and the fact that Lena had placed string lights along the backyard fence.
“They’re warm white,” Lena said, holding up the HOA notice. “Apparently only soft white is acceptable after sunset.”
Jake laughed because he thought laughing would make it less irritating.
But Lena did not laugh.
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