“I wanted him fired.”
Camille nodded.
“Still?”
“I don't know.”
“Okay.”
“I wanted something to happen.”
“Something did.”
“Does it feel like enough?”
“No.”
He looked toward the old family photograph.
“But maybe nothing would.”
Camille smiled sadly.
“That’s one of the harder lessons.”
Brenner appealed part of the discipline.
His union had that right.
The suspension was reduced to fifteen days because one procedural deadline had been missed.
Jalen was furious.
“Technicality.”
Camille corrected:
“Procedure.”
“Same thing.”
“No.”
“Why do rules only matter when helping him?”
“They mattered when protecting you too.”
He hated that.
Then understood.
Mostly.
The most surprising development came six months later.
Officer Brenner requested a mediated meeting.
Not directly with Jalen.
Through attorneys.
Camille’s immediate answer was no.
Jalen’s was:
“Why?”
Teresa Alvarez explained.
“He says he wants to apologize.”
“He can mail it.”
“He also wants to answer questions.”
Jalen looked at his mother.
Camille said:
“You owe him nothing.”
“Would you go?”
“That is not relevant.”
“Mom.”
She sighed.
“If I were you, I don't know.”
Jalen laughed.
“Everybody is useless.”
He chose to go.
One hour.
Neutral conference room.
Camille present.
Teresa present.
Brenner came without uniform.
That shocked Jalen more than expected.
Gray sweater.
Khaki pants.
He looked smaller.
Not physically.
Context had given him size before.
Brenner sat across the table.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Then:
“I’m sorry.”
Jalen waited.
Brenner continued:
“I handled the contact badly.”
Jalen’s expression hardened.
“Badly?”
Brenner nodded.
“You’re right.”
He started again.
“I detained you without enough reason.”
“I kept asking for more proof after you gave me answers.”
“I used the theft report when I had not actually checked whether you matched it.”
“I treated your frustration as suspicious.”
Jalen looked at him.
“Why?”
Brenner exhaled.
“I don't know every part of that.”
“Do you think it was because I'm Black?”
Camille stayed still.
She had promised not to interfere.
Brenner stared at his hands.
“I didn't think, ‘He's Black, so he's a thief.’”
Jalen looked disappointed.
Brenner continued:
“That answer is too easy.”
Jalen looked up.
“I think I saw a Black teenage boy with a skateboard and I expected a certain kind of interaction before you ever spoke.”
Silence.
Brenner swallowed.
“I think I interpreted things through that expectation.”
Jalen stared.
“Isn't that racism?”
Brenner looked toward Teresa.
She did not rescue him.