Astrid Ingram was a walking antithesis - middle-aged with slowly graying light brown hair and a slender build, she was a woman with a flair for emotional explosions. She had learned to control the outbursts, knowing when to ignite them in herself and how to ignite them in others. But it took a lot of strength to maintain that control and for that reason she often felt emotionally depleted after a day of work as a billing clerk at the local hospital. Between impersonal insurance forms, angry patient's questions and fellow employees with their personal agendas she felt she couldn't get home fast enough to rest and recharge. The release she found in gardening and painting in her safe harbor prepared her for another onslaught of attacks.

Astrid's personal refuge was breached by new neighbors, Leo and Cheryl Giles. She watched from her painting room as the moving van unloaded perfectly coordinated furniture. It was Cheryl she saw first, an imposing woman, tall and stocky, in her mid-twenties, with short brown hair. Her delicate facial features were lost in her strength of character. She never barked orders yet managed to take charge of the movers with her sheer presence. Leo was in the backyard, putting away his tools and gardening supplies. He was like the yin to her yang - tall and lanky, quiet, almost lost in his own world. Whether willing or unwilling, he did whatever Cheryl wanted, but he gave the impression he was restless about it.

The couple never appeared to fight. Perhaps it was because Cheryl could always seem so right. Perhaps it was because Leo yearned for peace. Whatever the reason, it just wasn't right to Astrid.

In time Astrid would chat with Cheryl outside. Actually, she would just listen since the new neighbor had nothing but advice and little patience for any response other than gratitude. Although she was twice the age as these twenty-something aspiring achievers, Cheryl seemed to have a need to try to bring the same order to other's lives that she showed everyone she had in her own. Astrid had learned to evade long lectures from the younger woman. It was innocuous enough in the beginning.

"Have you ever thought about getting a landscaper to help you, Astrid? Just to start things off, of course."

Astrid hadn't asked for her advice, but it was always there. All she was doing was weeding between her tulips, being careful to leave the forget-me-nots at their bases. She loved the way her garden looked untamed yet controlled. Obviously, not controlled enough for Cheryl, though, who was standing in her yard with her arms folded on top of the four-foot-tall fence. She always felt this woman was looking down at her, even when they were eye to eye.

"I'm really not interested in someone else's concept of what they think is right for me. I like the wild comfort of my gardens." She brushed a strand of hair from her face as she stood and faced Cheryl. "But if I ever get tired of it then, yes, perhaps a professional's opinion would be valuable. Thanks for the suggestion."

She tried to make a sincere smile as she faced Cheryl. Not to be equaled, the younger woman stopped leaning on the fence and stood up straight, made taller by lifting her nose in the air.

"Whatever." With that, Cheryl turned and stalked inside.

Astrid chuckled to herself. The Queen Bee, as she had come to think of Cheryl, always needed to control situations. She just couldn't seem to tolerate the older woman's increasing indifference to her glorious advice.

She stood and gazed at the two yards. The Giles' was always immaculate, with a garden that was well-planned each year. Annuals placed perfectly by height and color. Intricately manicured shrubs and lawn. It was Cheryl's notion of a middle-class ideal, a sharp contrast to Astrid's carefree lifestyle. Unlike the Giles, her yard and gardens were filled with bulb flowers, evergreens and perennials for easy care. She felt that at her age she had better things to do than try to please others and conform to them.

"It's bad enough everyone I work with gives me advice on my life," thought Astrid. "They want me to remarry, adopt, join clubs. Now my neighbor wants me to change my yard."

She shook her head and giggled, wondering if the Giles knew an eligible landscaper who had children and belonged to the right organizations.

"Then," she mused, "everyone would be happy."

Through it all, Astrid and the Giles simply co-existed. But the perfect picture of a marriage was fading and Astrid had a ringside seat.

Two springs had passed since the young couple moved in. There had been barbecues and football parties with friends, get-togethers with relatives. The Giles were social creatures. Astrid preferred her solitude with her cats, venturing out to work, bank, shop, and visit other avant-garde spirits like herself. At home she gardened, painted, read. Some nights she'd go out star-gazing.

And she speculated on the young couple's lives.

Cheryl had gotten a promotion at the office where she worked, training office managers at other locations. Leo still remained in his job running the hardware section at the department store downtown. But because Cheryl's new position sent her away for weeks at a time she stayed in the city she was working at that time, coming home only on the weekends. When she was gone Leo came alive.

Three months into Cheryl's new job things changed a bit at the Giles' residence. Leo appeared happier. He'd even wave at Astrid when they were both outside. If he was truly talkative he might comment on the weather. There was little activity at the house in the evenings, except for him coming home late after shooting some pool downtown with his friends. Cheryl's return on the weekend hallmarked the return to social activity, at least for two days.

Gradually he stopped going out as much. And the shades were drawn more at night. Astrid didn't think much of it. Her shades were always closed at night so it looked normal. But Cheryl had sheer drapes next to the window so the curtains could be opened, probably to show all who drove by what a wonderful decorating job she had done.

"Maybe he's just shyer than Cheryl," Astrid thought.

The reason became clear one mid-summer night. It was a cooler evening than most are in the summer, the sort of night you open as many windows as you can to catch the freshest breeze. Astrid was painting a landscape from a photo she'd taken on her last vacation, trying to recapture its serene beauty. The gentle nudge of evening air filled the room with the scent of fresh-mown and watered grass. She always loved that smell and wanted to lose herself in it. But voices from next door brought her back and she quietly edged towards the open window.

She heard Leo's voice clearly, laughing and talking to someone. But the other voice was a woman's, and definitely not Cheryl. "Enough painting for now," thought Astrid. "I feel like watching the skies." Of course, she had no intention of star-gazing this night, but the Giles had gotten used to seeing her out in the backyard on clear nights checking out the constellations. What better excuse to be out there than to gaze through her telescope? She felt a sudden depraved rush of adrenaline and quickly went out to set things up for her alibi.

Since it was a moonless night it was dark enough that Leo and his guest wouldn't see her from their house but she could see them. Pointing the telescope in the opposite direction from her neighbors, she removed the view finder and looked into Leo's house. She knew she should feel dirty about this but found herself feeling exhilarated, like a teenager planning to sneak out after her parents were asleep. And there, in the kitchen, were Leo and Marianne, a young woman from Leo's department store. Astrid recognized her from the times she shopped there. Marianne Crane was a freshman at the community college. She looked to be a little rough around the edges, not beautiful but pretty. A little shorter than Astrid, her light brown hair always hung straight, sometimes strands would be in her face. She worked in the ladies' department and Astrid had chatted with her a couple of times, listening to the girl talk about her classes and complain about her job. But now she was with Leo, and as she watched they moved into the bedroom, out of her sight. Leo shut off lights as they moved away from view.

Astrid could only smile and shake her head. "I knew he would get tired of Cheryl. He really does need someone who caters to him."

And she went and took advantage of the telescope, getting in a hour or so of star-gazing.

As the summer progressed Leo and Cheryl would be together on weekends, continuing the act of a stable marriage. One Saturday Astrid was in her painting room, facing the Giles' house, with the window open. She heard Cheryl rattling on about her job, her employees, her responsibilities, her company, as she prepared another weekend barbecue for their friends. Astrid wondered if Marianne would be coming, since this fete included several people from Leo's job. And she had been over for the get-togethers before. But most of the time Marianne came over alone, in the evenings, when Cheryl was gone. She'd leave before sunrise, quietly.

Her inspiration interrupted, Astrid put away her painting supplies to tend to her garden. No sooner had she began putting her sprinkler out to water her lawn when Cheryl called her over.

"We're having some friends over this evening. Would you mind not doing any of your silly star-gazing?" Cheryl wasn't even looking at Astrid, but through her. "I just don't want them to think we live next door to some kind of pervert."

"Um, sure. I guess so." Astrid couldn't understand the young woman's brusque behavior. "I didn't realize it bothered you. You've never said anything before."

Cheryl sniffed sharply and went to talk to Leo. Apparently the hedges she had him working on still had a few areas that weren't perfect.

"I don't know why you don't keep up on this during the week instead of waiting until the last minute. It's not like you have anything else to do but work during the week."

Leo didn't turn to face his wife. He stiffened for a few seconds then trimmed the bush he was working on voraciously.

"You're going to cut too much off at that rate, Leo," snapped Cheryl.

"Yes, hon." He backed up and looked at all the bushes. "Do you think that's enough?"

Letting out a long sigh, she shook her head in resigned acceptance. "It'll have to do. Just clean up the tools and go in to shower. Everyone will be here in a couple of hours."

The Queen Bee stormed inside, obviously to finish the preparations as only she could.

Astrid was confused. Cheryl had always talked down to her but never had been overtly rude and degrading. And her treatment of Leo had also changed. She must have known that her remarks to him would have been heard by her neighbor. Astrid watched the angrily deflated man snatched his tools up and take them back to the shed, slamming the door after they were put away.

With the "happy couple" now inside she continued working in her yard and wondered if Cheryl knew about Marianne. Of course, it could just be pressure from work. Or she may miss being the Queen Bee in her own house. Whatever the reason, the Giles' home was on edge. And Astrid wasn't going to miss this next show.

Her neighbor's guests were prompt. Astrid expected no less of them than she expected of their hosts. Whatever edginess had occurred earlier was now masked with a pleasantry becoming their, or at least Cheryl's, roles. The Queen greeted each of them in front, directing them inside. Leo was in the backyard, barbecue ready to go, his wife making certain all the utensils and food were just perfect for him. She never left anything to chance.

Astrid began putting her hose and sprinkler away. She had gotten a lot of yard work done. Curiosity was a great motivater but she felt a change in venue was due and the painting room was the perfect vantage point. Just as she got ready to go inside, the party began to take a fascinating turn.

Marianne had arrived. And Astrid hurried to her box seat inside.

At first the young girl gravitated towards her other fellow employees, joking with them but always looking around. She caught Leo's eye finally. He glanced around and, when confident no one was watching, smiled gently at her. Marianne slowly worked her way over to Leo at the grill, chatting briefly with people along the way.

Cheryl came out from the house and went straight to her husband. She may have noticed the exchange from her back window because as soon as Marianne was close to her lover his wife was right at his side, laying claim to her property. And the girl had no choice but to go back to her friends.

The rest of the soirée went off perfectly, as usual. There was food and conversation and laughter, everyone mingling. Everyone except Marianne. After she ate she talked to one of her friends, Debi, a co-worker and fellow school chum. Astrid could hear them from her window, where the two girls stood alone from the rest of the group.

"I knew this was a bad idea," lamented Marianne. "But if I didn't show up I'm sure Cheryl would have wondered why."

Her friend stroked Marianne's back. A buoyant young woman with short red hair, she empathized with the love-struck teen.

"At least she'll be gone early Monday morning," said Debi, trying to pacify her buddy.

Marianne gazed at Leo. "Then what? Do things just keep going this way?" She turned to Debi. "Something's gotta change. I'm miserable. He's miserable." Glaring at Cheryl, she continued. "And it's her fault."

The two of them decided to leave so Debi went around and told a few of their co-workers that they had some other people to meet up with from school. They left quietly.

The party didn't break up until well after dark. A few of the guests stayed to help clean but Astrid could hear them saying their farewells from her bedroom, where she tried to get to sleep. She hoped they would be gone soon because she wanted to leave her window open this night to stay cool.

After the last guest left Astrid began to drift off to sleep when she heard the muffled voices of her neighbors, evidently in a rather heated argument. They were shutting windows as they went around the house. She had just convinced herself that she was too tired to go outside to listen when she heard the last bit of the fight.

"Well, then, you can just sleep on the couch tonight!"

"Fine! I get the bed the rest of the week while you're off being important!"

And with that, the last window slammed shut and Astrid could finally drift off, confident that poor Leo had finally gotten the last word in.

Sunday was quiet at the Giles' house, not that it bothered Astrid. She didn't have yardwork to do so spent most of the morning outside in her chair reading. It was nice to have things quiet and to not be interrupted with advice. But she couldn't help feeling a bit guilty for why the silence was occurring. This had been like a game to her but now she realized that a marriage could be ending. Remembering her own divorce she wondered if people who knew her then speculated on what was really going on with her and her husband. She glanced from her novel briefly to the neighbor's house. The shades were open and she could see Cheryl moving around, doing housework. She guessed Leo was watching baseball but couldn't be sure.

"Not my business," she thought, and went back to her book.

Astrid managed to put thoughts of Leo and Cheryl out of her mind the next week. The guilt she felt over their troubles outweighed the pleasure she had in the beginning of the affair. And work already drained her enough, she didn't need this kind of worry at home.

But things changed by the middle of the week. While outside getting some lettuce from her vegetable garden for a salad Leo came storming out the backdoor.

"You bitch! You had no right to tell her!"

At first, she didn't know what was going on or who Leo was yelling at. She turned and saw him at their fence, looking as though he was going to erupt.

"What?!" He had caught her off-guard and she didn't know what he was referring to.

"You know what I'm talking about!" Leo had such a firm grip on the wooden fence, which came up to his chest, that she thought he was going to take a couple of planks out.

"Leo, what are you talking about? Who did I tell what to?"

"Cheryl! You told Cheryl!"

Astrid shook her head in disbelief. She had a feeling she knew that he was indicating the nights Marianne was over but wasn't about to own up to it.

"The only things I've talked to Cheryl about the last few months was my telescope and my yard." Not a lie, that was all they had talked about. "I don't see her unless I'm outside."

Astrid thought she should stop while she was ahead. No use admitting that she even suspected the affair he was having.

Leo looked quietly surprised as if searching for the next words, but none came. He just shook his head and went back inside. Judging from his demeanor, and the fact that he didn't slam the door, Astrid hoped it would end there. And that he would just leave her alone.

The next couple of afternoons she was outside getting all her work done before Leo got home in the early evening. She didn't want another confrontation with him. And she didn't want any reason to be outside this weekend while Cheryl was home. It would be better if she just did some shopping and visited friends, instead.

Saturday morning Astrid left early to treat herself to breakfast downtown and do some shopping. She made up a list at the cafe and realized she needed some things at the department store Leo and Marianne worked at.

"Shouldn't be too bad," she thought, "Leo's off this weekend."

And she was certain Marianne didn't know what she looked like.

As she entered the store picking up her items she wandered over to the ladies' department. There was Debi, chatting with another employee. Marianne was nowhere in sight. Astrid wandered over by them, looking at the sale racks and graciously turning down their request for help. They immediately returned to their conversation as though Astrid wasn't there.

"I still think it sucks," Debi continued. "His wife just feels she has the right to come in here and have Marianne fired that way."

"She is persuasive," replied the other girl, also about Debi's age. "And she didn't use the relationship to get her fired."

"I know. But I just can't figure out how she got so many of her friends to complain about Marianne that way."

The two of them wandered to the back and Astrid decided to pay for her purchases. As she headed to the register she felt sorry for Marianne in some ways. It sounded as if she was the victim. But Astrid had shopped there enough to know that the young girl wasn't a great employee. Even some of her friends had mentioned it at work, not her by name but by description, along with a couple of other people. Marianne did tend to talk too much and ignore customers. But this all sounded like an excuse for Cheryl to get her way. Bring in complaints from some of her friends, sympathetic to her, and get Marianne fired. Maybe complaining about the affair would have also gotten Leo fired and he already had ten years there.

Astrid got home and slipped quietly into her house. Deciding to stay inside she retired to paint for the rest of the evening. From that room she heard Leo outside mowing the lawn. Other than that, the rest of the weekend was quiet.

As summer ended, Cheryl was home more. Her job training people was over and she was back working in the local office. At least, that was what she told Astrid the one time they saw each other outside.

"Must be nice for you," said Astrid. "No more traveling and living in hotels."

Cheryl just shrugged.

"I would get tired of that after awhile. I don't know how you did it." Astrid was trying to make Cheryl feel a little better but the younger woman didn't seem to care.

"I guess. It is nice to be home all the time now," replied Cheryl.

Not wanting to get involved in their lives anymore, Astrid made an excuse about leaving something on the stove and went inside. Before she even got to the door she heard Cheryl one last time.

"You really should think about a landscaper. Your yard has some potential."

Astrid waited until she got inside before breaking out in laughter. It was nice to know that the universe still had some order to it.