“I already spoke with the lady here,” he says, motioning to Enya. “There’s nothing more to talk about.”

“You’re on private property. You’re obligated to do whatever the owner says,” Elias intervenes. I try to hide my surprise at the way he stands up for me.

“I am not.” The guy takes a step back and I take one forward, feeling the two behind me do the same. “Now let us do our job,” he says.

My blood boils in my veins and I feel like hitting him. No matter how hard I clench my fists, those violent thoughts don’t stop.

Tears fill my eyes and I suddenly feel like I’m eight years old again. Everything I love somehow gets lost or taken from me. It’s not fair. Why can’t it stay? It’s mine. My grandma’s. The tree is the only thing I have left of my childhood. Nothing else. Just memories that will slowly fade and die.

The workman laughs, a smug look on his face that makes me want to punch it. I’ve never been violent in my whole life. I might take my chance today, though.

“Miss,” he takes a step closer to me and I feel Elias at my back, “I’m afraid that this is not your property.” The guy throws an unimpressed look at Elias, probably letting him know he’s not intimidated by him.

He takes a map out of his jeans pocket, opens it, and shows it to me. The drawing proves that I only have the house and the garden. The stretch of ground beyond the garden, including Mushroom, isn’t mine.

“Clear enough?” he sneers.

“Be respectful, eh?” Elias says. “You can’t just take away half her yard without answering some questions.”

“My job is to take this tree down and leave.”

Elias curses under his breath. I think this is the first time I’ve seen him pissed. The man turns to leave, but I try one more time.

“I’ll buy it.”

It seems like the only option right now. I have a ton of money, so that won’t be a problem. I’ll pay any amount.

“You can’t. I’m afraid that this is no longer city property. A developer bought it.” He backs away. Just like that. Crushing me under his foot.

“There’s no way I could buy it?”

“No. They’re planning to build here.” The guy says with his back to us, while he signs to the man in the bulldozer to cut Mushroom’s trunk.

And we just stay there. Watching Mushroom get destroyed, along with my most beautiful childhood memories. None of us move.

I feel like the tree is taking bits of each of us with him. We’re all connected in different ways and we all suffer in silence.