The firemen moved slowly in their gear and boots and heavy coats. I expected them to drop off the truck and start running around, but maybe it was just another day at the office for them. They spread out along the fence, and some of them sprayed a layer of foam along the base, while others opened the tank on the back of the truck and let the fire have it with the hose.

They had the fire licked in minutes, though there was a lot more to do. They went back and forth to the truck, bringing out different tools, talking into their radio. The fence, or a lot of it, was going to have to come down, and the ground on both sides dug up to keep the fire from traveling along any roots. The neighbors on the other side of the fence would need to be consulted. Nothing was over yet, though the active catastrophe part was.

I watched all this from behind my truck, near an untouched portion of fence. Nobody saw me slipping away to hide there. Nobody had missed me yet. I was too far away to hear everything, but I could see the group of them in the courtyard, talking with the firemen and with each other, everyone excited, holding towels and water pitchers, taking cell phone shots. I couldn’t be part of it. I’d screwed up too badly and there was no way to be sorry enough or to undo what I’d done.

Viridian stood next to the island of plantings, talking to the fire chief, at least I guessed it was the chief. She’d wrapped a white shawl around her shoulders and stood very upright and calm, and I imagined her saying something like, No harm done, it was just an old fence, and how prompt and helpful the firemen had been. Oscar was walking around the firepit as if trying to determine how it had failed him. The others had retrieved their drinks and were talking to each other in ways they might not have if they’d stayed at the table, as if burning something down was the best thing you could do for a party.

Aaron came out of the house and I guess he was looking around for me, which made me feel bad, but I couldn’t face him either.