Yeah, I said slowly. Just got in. He nodded like everything was perfectly normal. Then he tapped the railing proudly. What do you think? That question hung in the air for a second. I glanced up at the beams, then at the support post sitting inside my yard, then back at him. What do I think about what? He chuckled.
The balcony. I tilted my head. Why is your balcony over my backyard? His smile didn’t disappear, but it definitely paused just for a split second. Then he shrugged. It’s just airspace. He said it casually, almost amused, like I had asked why clouds float. It’s not like we’re using your lawn or anything. Now, if you’ve ever had someone say something that sounds completely insane, but they say it with total confidence, you know the feeling. Your brain kind of stalls.
You’re standing there thinking, “Did he really just say that?” I pointed to the post. That support beam is in my yard. He glanced down at it quickly, then waved his hand like it was no big deal. Contractor handled all that. That sentence, I swear to God, every time someone says the contractor handled it, it usually means something very much did not get handled.
I said, “My trees been cut, too.” He leaned over the railing and looked at the maple branches like he was noticing them for the first time. Oh, yeah. They had to clear some space for the deckline. Deckline? like it was some technical necessity of the universe. I took a slow breath. Did anyone ask me about that? He scratched the back of his neck.
I figured it’d be fine. That right there was the moment something shifted inside my head. Not rage. Not yet. Just a realization. He didn’t think this was a problem. He thought it was already settled. Like if you just build something big enough, people will accept it. I didn’t argue with him right there. I just said, “I’ll take a look at my survey.” He nodded.
