Our water bill soared to $214, and I discovered my neighbor secretly siphoning from our outdoor faucet, prompting unexpected advice from my husband.

Is it true there’s no special seed?

Ben couldn’t hold it in any longer.

He guffawed uncontrollably, his body twisting away.

My laughter soon followed.

It wasn’t the cash that amused us.

If laughter hadn’t come, a scream surely would have burst forth.

Last month, the weight of $214 shook our world.