“I’m trying.”
The son was sentenced according to the plea.
Probation.
Restitution.
Community service at an automotive training nonprofit.
No firearms? Not relevant. No need.
Anger management.
A requirement to complete educational programming related to bias and restorative accountability.
The judge told him:
“You are not here because the vehicle was expensive.”
“You are here because it belonged to someone else.”
That line later appeared in the newspaper.
It was the correct one.
The Lamborghini returned three months after the incident.
The restoration specialist drove it himself.
My daughter came home for the day.
She stood in the driveway as the car came off the trailer.
The blue paint looked perfect.
Too perfect.
Like nothing had happened.
She walked around it.
“Where?”
“What?”
“Where were the feathers?”
I pointed.
“Door.”
“Quarter panel.”
“Hood.”
She leaned close.
“I can’t tell.”
“That’s the idea.”
She straightened.
“You going to keep it?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Until I don’t want it.”
She smiled.
“That sounds healthy.”
“I’m growing.”
She opened the passenger door.
“Ride?”
“You have class tomorrow.”
“Ride.”
I looked at the house.
Then at her.
“Fine.”
We drove with no destination.
Not fast.
Not dramatic.
Just through the city and out toward the highway.
At a red light, my daughter touched the dashboard.
“You know what I hate?”
“What?”
“That he made this car part of his story.”
I understood.
She continued.
“It was yours first.”
“It still is.”
“People recognize it now.”
“Sometimes.”
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
“Yes.”
“Then why keep it?”
I looked through the windshield.
“Because I don’t want somebody else’s bad decision to decide what I stop enjoying.”
She nodded.
Then:
“That was disgustingly mature.”
“Thank you.”
“I hate it.”
We laughed.
That drive gave the car back to me more than the paint shop did.
The HOA president’s situation worsened.
Not because of the car.
Because records kept arriving.
Emails.
Texts.
Invoices.
Violation histories.
One message after I challenged a landscaping notice read:
He thinks money puts him above standards. Start documenting everything visible from the road.
Another:
If he beats this notice, find the next one.
That was sent to a management employee.
The employee had replied:
We should only issue supported violations.
The president:
Then support one.
The investigator showed me that during a deposition preparation session.