Brad is six. He sits outside of the lawyer's office and throws pea gravel onto the grass. He doesn't know why Mom and Dad are inside talking. But he knows they are angry, 'cause they yell and throw stuff. Nobody gets in
timeout.
Melissa is twelve. She twirls her hair while she sits on a bench at the courthouse. She has brought a Harry Potter book with her, because she knows how long these things take. She scrunches up her nose when I ask her if she gets to say anything to the judge this time: "As if!."
Patrick is 20. He gets to sit at the big table and talks to both lawyers about "the issues:" Child support,
visitation and all of those important words. He pulls at his collar and regrets wearing a tie. He hates the smell of his Dad's aftershave. It reminds him of some hookers he has been with at college. The coincidence makes him nauseated. He bolts from the room.
Mary Lee is 32. She sits on a bench outside the courtroom with her three year old on her lap. They are sharing a Mickey Mouse coloring book. The little girl asks her if Daddy is coming to see them today. She acts like she doesn't hear the question.