Our hot tub had been sitting covered and almost untouched for nearly four months when our neighbor, Lisa, appeared at the front door and asked us to keep the noise down.

At first, I thought I had misunderstood her.

My husband, Tom, and I hadn’t even been home the previous Sunday. We had driven three hours away to visit his parents for the weekend.

So there had been no music coming from our backyard.

No people laughing.

No late-night gathering.

Nothing.

“Are you sure it was coming from our house?” I asked.

Lisa hesitated.

“I mean, it sounded like it was coming from this direction. Loud music, people talking… Honestly, Charlotte, it’s been happening for months. Maybe close to a year. I didn’t want to complain, but it’s getting frustrating.”

Nearly a year?

I thanked her for letting me know and slowly closed the door.