"It is not," Nia said.
"I was a federal judge. I know level when I see it."
"Those two things have no relationship."
"Objection overruled."
Mrs. Chen laughed from her driveway.
Children from the newer families ran extension cords under adult supervision. Mr. Carter brought out a box of old wooden reindeer. Mrs. Patterson positioned a camera on her porch, then noticed Nia looking at it.
"Family archive only," she promised.
"I believe you."
That sentence felt good. Trust had returned gradually enough that Nia could identify its stages. At first she trusted documents more than people. Then she trusted specific people with specific things. Eventually she stopped checking the window every time an official vehicle slowed in front of the house.
She still verified unexpected visitors. She still kept backups. She no longer apologized for either habit.
Late in the afternoon, Tessa climbed down from the porch roof and stood beside her mother admiring the lights. The repaired doorway was framed in warm white bulbs. Hydrangeas slept beneath winter mulch. The lawn looked ordinary, uneven in a few places, scattered with cords and plastic clips.
"Grandpa would say we used too many lights," Tessa said.
"Your grandfather once ran four extension cords into one outlet and blamed the breaker."
"So he would approve."
"Probably."
A county patrol car rolled slowly past. The officer behind the wheel was young, someone Nia did not recognize. He raised two fingers in greeting and kept driving. Nobody stopped decorating. Nobody reached for a phone.
Nia noticed that more than anyone else did. The following week, Tessa published a long feature about the new inspector general's office. She did not mention her family's case until the eighth paragraph. Instead, she began with a county employee reporting missing fuel cards and used the mundane complaint to explain how a protected channel should work. Nia called her after reading it.
"You buried the dramatic material."
"I know."
"Proud of you."
Tessa laughed. "Journalism praise from you is terrifying."