EPILOGUE: The Strip Tyler Said Wasn’t Mine
“I probably should’ve handled things differently.”
I looked at him for a moment.
“Probably.”
He nodded and walked away.
That was the entire conversation.
No apology.
No handshake.
No friendship.
And I was perfectly fine with that.
Because sometimes the best ending isn’t watching someone lose everything.
Sometimes it’s simply watching them learn that they cannot take something from you just because they think you’re too polite to fight back.
I looked at the old oak tree.
Then at the grass stretching all the way to the drainage ditch.
Eight feet had never seemed like much to Tyler.
But to me, it represented something much bigger.
My home.
My daughter’s memories.
Eleven years of hard work.
And the simple right to decide what happened on my own property.
I started the mower again.
This time, I cut every inch of my yard.
Including the strip Tyler once told me wasn’t mine anymore.
Note: This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered. Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher disclaim accuracy, liability, and responsibility for interpretations or reliance. All images are for illustration purposes only.
