Naomi hesitated.
She didn't want to explain her profession.
Not because she was ashamed.
Because she wanted to be treated like an ordinary person.
"I work downtown."
"Doing what?"
"Legal work."
Ryan laughed quietly.
"Legal work?"
"Yes."
"What kind?"
Naomi looked directly into his eyes.
"Government."
Something about the answer seemed to irritate him further.
Before he could continue, another patrol officer approached.
His name was Daniel Price.
Daniel was younger, perhaps in his twenties, and his expression immediately revealed uncertainty.
He glanced at Naomi.
Then at Ryan.
Then at Evelyn.
"Everything okay?"
Ryan nodded.
"Fine."
Daniel didn't look convinced.
Naomi noticed the difference between them immediately.
Ryan seemed determined to control the conversation.
Daniel seemed to be trying to understand it.
"Maybe we should verify the address and move along," Daniel said.
Ryan looked at him sharply.
"Stay out of it."
Daniel fell silent.
Naomi looked down at the hose.
She wanted the conversation to end.
She had a hearing to prepare for Monday.
She had documents waiting inside.
She had no interest in spending her Saturday morning arguing with a police officer.
"Officer Holt," she said, "you have asked me several questions. I've answered them. If there is no specific reason for detaining me, I'd like you to leave my property."
Ryan's face changed.
"You're refusing to cooperate."
"No."
"You're challenging me."
"I'm asking you to explain why you're here."
"You people always want an explanation."
Naomi froze.
Evelyn's face tightened.
Daniel looked at Ryan.
"What did you mean by that?"
Ryan ignored him.
Naomi's voice became quieter.
"What exactly do you mean by 'you people'?"
Ryan stepped closer.
"Don't twist my words."
"I'm not twisting anything."
"You have an attitude."
"I have questions."
"Same thing."
Daniel stepped between them slightly.
"Ryan."
"What?"
"Let's just go."
Ryan stared at Naomi.
Then at the hose.
Then at the camera attached to the porch.
"Fine."
He turned.
But instead of leaving, he stopped at the edge of the lawn.
"You should be more respectful when an officer approaches you."
Naomi watched him walk away.
She didn't answer.
Evelyn came through the gate.
"Are you all right?"
Naomi nodded.
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
Naomi looked at her.
Evelyn pointed toward the street.
"That man wasn't checking anything."
"What was he doing?"
"Looking for a reason."
Naomi lowered her eyes.
She knew exactly what Evelyn meant.
Some encounters began with suspicion.
Others began with certainty.
The officer had not come looking for information.
He had come looking for confirmation.
And Naomi had a feeling the morning wasn't finished yet.
By noon, Naomi had almost convinced herself to forget the encounter.
Almost.
She sat at her kitchen table with a stack of legal documents in front of her.
The pages contained arguments concerning a complicated civil rights case.
Normally, she would have become absorbed immediately.
Instead, she kept reading the same paragraph.
She couldn't stop thinking about Ryan Holt.
Not because she was frightened.
Because she was angry.
She had spent decades studying the law.
She understood precisely how easily a minor encounter could become something much larger.
She also knew that anger could be dangerous.
Not anger itself.
But the perception of anger.
A Black woman who raised her voice could quickly become "aggressive."
A Black woman who questioned authority could become "uncooperative."
A Black woman who demanded her rights could become "difficult."
Naomi had learned those lessons long before she became a judge.
Her phone rang.
It was Aaron.
"How's your morning?"
"Interesting."
"That's never a good word when you say it like that."
She smiled.
"A police officer came by."
Aaron's voice changed immediately.
"What happened?"
"Nothing serious."
"Naomi."
"I'm fine."
"What did he want?"
She explained.
Aaron listened without interrupting.
When she finished, he was quiet.
"Do you want me to come home?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"You sound angry."
"I am."
"You have every right to be."
Naomi looked out the window.
Across the street, Ryan's patrol car was gone.
"I just wish people would stop making assumptions."
Aaron sighed.
"They don't know you."
"Exactly."
A few minutes later, someone knocked on the front door.
Naomi stood.
Evelyn was outside.
"Come in."
Evelyn entered carrying a small plate of cookies.
"I made too many."
"You always make too many."
"I made exactly enough for me and then decided I needed to make more."
Naomi smiled.
Evelyn sat at the kitchen table.
"I've been thinking."
"That's dangerous."
"Very."
Evelyn leaned forward.
"That officer is going to come back."