Emerson is a small borough with a brook running through it, and Pascack Brook keeps its own calendar — high and loud in March, low and shaded green by July. Alberga Contracting works the lawns on either side of it, the narrow front yards and the deeper backyards that tilt toward the water. There is a particular satisfaction in the first cut of the season, when the grass comes off wet and the whole street smells like it. Mowing, trimming, edging, cleanups: ordinary words for the work of making a small lot look cared for. By the time the truck is loaded, the lines run straight and the walk is swept, and the house looks like someone loves it.