I replay the encounter in my mind, searching for clues.
Did she recognize me?
Was there a flicker of acknowledgment?
Or was it just a chance meeting, forgotten as soon as it ended?
The judge’s scrutiny weighs heavier now, her judgment more personal.
I can’t shake the feeling that our brief encounter has more significance than either of us realized.
The courts hold the key to us staying together, and that gives the judge immense power over my future.
It’s not just the law itself but the way the system feels distant and unyielding.
The courthouse clerks’ cold efficiency, the judge’s curt tone in previous hearings.
I’m caught up in a legal tangle that’s threatening the custody of my son.
