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

We slept apart, our hearts heavy with unresolved anger.

At dawn, I made amends.

Ben also asked for forgiveness.

We both had no idea we were saying sorry for water that wasn’t ours.

On Tuesday last week, I arrived home just past seven.

My children were with my mom.

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