I heard my mom yell at me, and I had turned to see her angry posture silhouetted against the patio light. Then another shape raced up beside her and wielded a large shovel to the back of her head.

“Mom!” I screamed, broken out of my reverie by the shock of someone violating my mother’s space and taking her down. I ran to assail the victim, but a girl’s face shone in the firelight and said, “Hi!”

I was so taken back by the sight of a mere girl I stopped running at her and blinked. She smiled hugely at me and giggled, like this was a silly thing to have done.

My mother groaned on the ground. I knelt beside her. “Mom! Can you hear me? Are you okay? Mom?”

“I need ice.” My mother hadn’t opened her eyes, but she rubbed her head and I was able to help her up and get her inside. I left her on the couch and went to see about this girl intruder.

She was shutting the gate to her fence next door.
“Hey you!” I shouted. She turned and smiled at me.
“What’d you that for?”

“She was going to douse your fire.”