“Too young.”
“Sixty.”
“Child.”
She laughed.
“What are you doing after?”
“Teaching.”
“Good.”
“Academy.”
“Better.”
She hesitated.
“I wanted to tell you something before.”
“What?”
“Our intervention policy went statewide.”
“I know.”
“You knew?”
“I read.”
“Of course.”
She continued.
“Complaints involving prolonged suspicious-person stops dropped.”
Walter looked.
“How much?”
“Twenty-six percent over seven years.”
“Correlation?”
“We can’t prove policy alone.”
“Good.”
Dana smiled.
“Still you.”
“Data matters.”
She took coffee.
“There’s another thing.”
Walter waited.
“Officers report intervening with peers more often.”
“Documented?”
“Yes.”
“Any harm?”
“Some conflicts.”
“But overall.”
“Good.”
Walter nodded.
Dana’s eyes filled.
“You changed department.”
Walter frowned.
“No.”
“Dana.”
“What?”
“You changed department.”
“She looked confused.”
“You stayed.”
“You trained.”
“You wrote policy.”
“I answered questions and drank coffee.”
Dana laughed through tears.
Walter continued.
“Do not outsource your credit to old man.”
She nodded.
“Yes, Mr. Brooks.”
He smiled.
Mason visited once.
Walter agreed.
He was sixty-four by then? Timeline off. Actually Walter 93, Mason around 45 if incident when 31 and 13 years later. Fine. Mason in his mid-40s, master electrician.
He arrived carrying petunias.
Correct this time.
Walter looked.
“Slow learner.”
Mason smiled.
“Wanted certainty.”
They sat porch.
No apology needed.
They talked about children.
Work.
Mason’s son applying college.
Walter asked:
“You still lose temper?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Mason laughed.
“Good?”
“Means alive.”
“Question is what you do.”
“I walk away more.”
“Sometimes.”
“Sometimes I still argue.”
Walter nodded.
“Better than sainthood story.”
Mason looked toward flowers.
“I used to think I needed you to say you forgave me.”
Walter remained quiet.
“I don’t anymore.”
“Good.”
“Not because I don’t care.”
“I know.”
“Because I realized I wanted word to close file.”
Walter smiled.
“No closed files in life.”
Mason nodded.
Then Walter said:
“I forgive you.”
Mason stopped.
Walter looked out yard.
“Don’t make face.”
Mason’s eyes filled.