She held up Grandpa Henry’s watch.
She had begun wearing it occasionally with an oversized leather strap we had modified to fit her wrist.
“It still works.”
I smiled.
“Better than I did that morning.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Dad joke.”
“High-quality dad joke.”
“Not even close.”
As we returned to the parking lot, I noticed somebody near the cart return.
A man in jeans and a plain gray polo shirt.
Craig Halpern.
For one second, neither of us moved.
He looked older.
Not dramatically.
Just tired.
Maya sensed the change in me.
“Daddy?”
“It’s okay.”
Halpern looked toward her.
Then back at me.
He could have walked away.
So could I.
Neither did.
He approached slowly.
“Commissioner.”
“Mr. Halpern.”
The title landed strangely.
He no longer had one.
Maya moved slightly closer to me.
Halpern noticed.
“I’m not here to cause trouble.”
“I didn’t think you were.”
Silence.
Then he looked toward the carts.
“First time I’ve been back.”
“Mine too.”
He nodded.
“I didn’t plan it.”
“Neither did I.”
Another silence.
Halpern looked at Maya.
“Your daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Hi.”
Maya gave a cautious nod.
He looked at me.
“I’ve wanted to say something.”
I waited.
“No cameras this time.”
I glanced around.
“Probably better.”
A faint smile appeared and vanished.
He rubbed his hands together.
“When they fired me, I thought you did it.”
“I recused myself.”
“I know that now.”
“I knew it later too.”
“But at first…”
He shook his head.
“I blamed you for everything.”
I said nothing.
“My attorney told me not to watch the footage.”
“Good advice during an appeal.”
“I watched it anyway.”
He looked toward the exact patch of pavement where I had knelt.
“First few times, I still thought I was right.”
Maya stared at him.
Halpern noticed but continued.
“I kept thinking, if people understood what I saw, they’d understand.”
“What did you see?”
He took a long breath.
“A young guy wearing something I didn’t expect.”
“That’s all?”
“No.”
He looked uncomfortable.
“I saw somebody who didn’t react the way I expected.”
“How?”
“You weren’t nervous.”
I considered that.
“You answered every question like you were evaluating me.”
“I probably was.”
He nodded.
“That made me angry.”
“Why?”
“Because I felt stupid.”
The honesty surprised me.
He continued.
“I didn’t recognize the insignia.”