Civil rights.
Patent litigation.
Sentencings.
She developed reputation for asking lawyers exactly what evidence supported adjectives they used.
“Obviously discriminatory.”
“Show me.”
“Clearly malicious.”
“Evidence?”
“Everyone knows.”
“Everyone is not a citation.”
Young lawyers feared her.
Older lawyers respected her.
The groom advanced in engineering career.
Eventually left reserve service after twenty-two years.
He kept white ceremonial uniform.
The cuff mark long gone.
The memory not.
They had one child through adoption four years after wedding.
A girl.
Seven.
Smart.
Suspicious of vegetables.
At eight she found viral video online.
Children discover everything adults hope to schedule.
She came into kitchen holding tablet.
“Mom?”
Bride froze.
“Where did you get that?”
“School.”
Groom looked over.
Video played.
Her father.
Police.
Her mother in wedding dress.
Child’s eyes widened.
“Dad got arrested?”
“No.”
Groom said.
“Almost.”
“Why?”
Parents looked at each other.
Not easy.
Bride sat.
“Because an adult told police something untrue.”
“Why?”
“Several reasons.”
“Was it because Dad is Black?”
Groom exhaled.
They had never hidden race from her.
She was Black too.
Adopted as infant.
Bride answered carefully.
“We cannot know everything inside another person’s mind.”
“But race was part of situation.”
“How?”
Bride thought.
“Sometimes people are quicker to believe someone is dangerous when they already carry ideas about what danger looks like.”
Child frowned.
“That's stupid.”
“Yes.”
Groom smiled sadly.
“It is.”
She looked toward video.
“Mom said she was judge.”
“Yes.”
“Then police stopped.”
“Eventually.”
“Would they stop if you weren't judge?”
Silence.
Groom looked toward bride.
Bride answered:
“I don't know.”
Child’s face changed.
That answer frightened her.
Bride took tablet.
“Important part is not that I was judge.”
“Important part is Dad did not do what neighbor accused him of.”
“An employee, neighbor, student, anyone deserves facts checked before punishment.”
Child thought.
“Did lady go to jail?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“She was punished another way.”
“Did you forgive her?”
Groom laughed softly.
“Internet asked that too.”
Child stared.
“Well?”
He thought.
“I don't spend much time hating her.”
“Is that forgiveness?”
“Maybe.”
Bride smiled.
“That sounded judicial.”
“Terrible.”
Child asked:
“Did you still get married?”