For three years, my 65-year-old neighbor, Mrs. Raines, made a hobby out of criticizing me
— my clothes, my recycling habits, even my Christmas lights. We weren’t friends.
We weren’t even friendly. Then one morning, her dog wouldn’t stop barking.
It wasn’t the usual yappy kind — it was desperate. I hadn’t seen her in five days.
Something felt off.I peeked through the window and saw her collapsed on the living room floor. I broke in through the glass,
called 911, and stayed by her side until the ambulance arrived.She’d had a heart attack.
The doctor told me she wouldn’t have survived another hour.While she recovered in the hospital,
I cared for her dog and her roses — the things she loved most. I visited her daily,
