"I never thought anything like this would happen to me."
Isn't that how these things always start? Where to begin… I guess it all started when my wife left me. We got married too young and discovered too late that we weren't all that good at living in the same house without making each other insane. She left, I got a new job that paid well and kept me very busy, and I've been single since then. Then the new neighbors moved in.
I still remember the first time I saw her. I was coming home from work during my lunch break one day and I saw a Uhaul truck backed into the driveway of the house next door to mine. It's one of those houses that is a perpetual rental so there have been a few tenants throughout the years, each a little more trashy than the last. This time was different though because as I turned into my driveway I saw her come out of the house heading for the Uhaul. She was young – college aged maybe – tall, slender, tanned skin, light brown hair that fell straight down her back. She was wearing a loose t-shirt and jean shorts, and she was wiping a strand of hair off of her forehead that was stuck there with sweat. Our eyes met ever so briefly before my car entered the garage, and the easy smile she flashed my way added a few beats to my heart rate.