My Father Mocked Me for Coming to Court Without a Lawyer, But the Judge Opened My File and the Whole Room Went Silent

on truth alone.

The drive to the courthouse took forty-five minutes. Long enough for doubt to do what doubt always does when it senses an opening.

You should have hired someone. You’re not ready for this. He’s going to win. You’ve spent too long learning how to hold a line in storms that make sense. This is family. Family is never clean.

I let the thoughts continue reading …