Chapter 1 - THE BALL OVER THE FENCE
The worn soccer ball left Ethan Parker’s foot at 4:17 on a bright Saturday afternoon.
It was not a powerful kick.
It was not aimed at anyone.
Ethan had been playing with two neighborhood boys in the front garden of his family’s home on Seabreeze Lane.
The green lawn was narrow.
The white garden fence was low.
The ball struck the metal edge of a sprinkler, changed direction and flew over the fence.
Nine-year-old Ava Collins was walking along the sidewalk beside her mother.
The ball hit Ava across the cheek.
She cried out and covered her face.
Ethan stopped moving.
His two friends stared at him.
Then Ethan ran toward the gate.
“I’m sorry!”
Ava looked through her fingers.
There was no blood.
Only a red mark beginning to form beneath one eye.
Madison Collins lowered her designer sunglasses.
She looked at Ethan as though he had thrown a stone.
“You did that on purpose.”
Ethan shook his head.
“No, ma’am. It hit the sprinkler.”
Madison’s expression hardened.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I can show you where it hit.”
Ava looked toward her mother.
She did not seem frightened.
She looked expectant.
She was waiting for Madison to decide how serious the accident would become.
Rebecca Parker came through the front door.
She wore a cream blouse, dark jeans and white sneakers.
“What happened?”
Madison pointed at Ethan.
“Your son attacked my daughter.”
Ethan’s face changed.
“It was an accident.”
Rebecca saw the red mark on Ava’s face.
She saw Madison’s fury.
She saw two expensive cars parked in front of the Collins mansion.
What she did not see was the sprinkler.
She did not see the ball’s sudden change in direction.
She did not ask her son what happened.
Madison stepped closer.
“He kicked that ball directly at Ava.”
“That’s not true,” Ethan whispered.
Rebecca turned toward him.
“Ethan.”
“Mom, it bounced—”
“Stop making excuses.”
Ethan’s friends remained near the garden.
Neither boy spoke.
Madison folded her arms.
“Are you going to discipline him?”
Rebecca felt every eye on her.
She felt the difference between Madison’s mansion and the smaller house the Parkers rented next door.
She felt judged before anyone said another word.
Ethan reached for his soccer ball.
Rebecca caught his arm.
“You hurt her.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“Then apologize.”
“I already did.”
Madison gave a cold laugh.
“That did not sound like an apology.”
Ethan looked from Madison to Ava.
Ava lowered her hand.
For one second, Ethan saw that she was not badly injured.
Then Ava saw her mother watching.
May you like
She covered her face again.
And began crying louder.
