Encouraging Words?

When the police officer showed up, I didn't know what to do, say or think.  MaKayla was freaked out and so I spent that time reassuring her.  The officer was VERY tall...  of course, I tend to add about 4" to anyone in a police uniform, so he probably wasn't 8 feet tall like I remember.

He came in, and didn't say a single word.  My daughter, being the nervous wreck she was, came out of her bedroom holding....  her pet rat.  I was mortified, and grossed out (I hated that nasty thing) and told her to put it back.  While she did that, I asked the officer if he needed to speak with MaKayla with me there, or should I let him talk to her by himself.  His words surprised me.

"I can't talk to her.  I can't even ask her her name."

Wow.  So I sent MaKayla to Jackie and Jodie's house and gave my report, filled out the forms.  I realized as I handed the report to the officer that I might have written MaKayla's birth date wrong...  how's that for messed up?  I found out later that I had, and the prosecutor was disappointed that she wasn't a year younger...  can't remember why, but apparently it would have mattered for some reason.

A lot was said before he left, but this one statement stands out in my mind.  He was sitting in his humongous SUV, getting ready to pull out of the driveway when he looked at me through his rolled down window and said

"As far a jail time, I wouldn't hold your breath."

I was stunned.  To be honest, I really hadn't thought that far ahead.  I was put off by that, but now, nearly two years into this I realize how true his words are, that our legal system is so terribly flawed.  I don't think he was discouraging me, I think he was, in his way, trying to prepare me.