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As if on cue, Max slid open the back sliding door and stuck his head out “Mom, can we come out now?”

I glanced at the captain He nodded

“Yes, you guys can come out now,” I responded

Max and Kyra walked out Max was ten and was still wearing his basketball jersey Kyra was thirteen and in shorts, a pink tank top, and flip-flops “So was there really a snake out here this time?” Kyra asked

My face immediately flushed fro to Palm Hills from San Francisco, I had seen way too retcreatures The last two times I called 9-1-1 turned out to be false alarht I had a rattler, but it turned out to be a garter snake The last time, I was pretty sure there was a rattler, but it moved too fast and disappeared in the hill behind er firemen were the ones who’d arrived the other two times

One of the men chuckled “We asked Captain to come with us this time He wanted to meet the lady who cries snake”

My shoulders sagged farther I didn’t think they could sag any more than they already had

“Jaize to the beautiful lady,” the captain said Did he really sound like Sam Elliott, or was that all in my head?

“Yes, sir Sorry, ht?”

“Yes, I get it Like the boy who cries wolf, I’, right?”

“Right,” the young man said, then turned his attention to Max “Hey, you wanna see so the rattler

“Cool!” Max exclaimed

Kyra scrunched up her nose and said, “That’s disgusting Ew! I’o inside with her, but I didn’t want to be rude Oh, as I kidding? I wanted to be next to the captain for a little bit longer

“Did you call your husband as well?” the captain asked

“Oh, o We never see him We e-mail every day and talk on the phone once a week, but…” Max answered For soe all our family drama

“Max!” I tried to interrupt

“So you’re alone here?” the captain asked

Before I could coain, “No, we aren’t alone We have one other I’m the man of the house” Max puffed up his chest

Could th

is get any worse? I wanted to run inside and bury my head under the covers

“Good to know,” the captain mumbled

Did I really just see the edges of his mouth lift a little bit into a smile?

“Mind if I take a stroll around your property? I already see at a glance some brush that needs to be cleared” He didn’t wait for estured for me to follow him He pointed to the hill behind my yard It was really an open field with lots of hills It belonged to the city but was my responsibility to clear I knew this, but I didn’t have the funds or estured to a bush that was actually in est you reo up in flaers for draet just a little bit of the brush on their hands and wipe their eyes Talk about severe eye pain”

I nodded I had intended to have it chopped down since I’d inherited the property from my aunt