Note: There is language that is excluded in the transcript but not excluded in the audio.
So, the night before this [diarist’s boyfriend’s] hearing recently to determine whether or not the judge would possibly reduce his bond or anything like that, I was setting up a Christmas tree I got as a surprise gift, and the Northern Lights were supposed to be out a little bit. And I had kind of seen them, little hints of them, during the night before I tried setting up this tree. And I needed to take a break because the lights on the tree were just bothering me. And I went outside and I saw a shooting star, and I tend to think those are good luck and it’s not — I mean, I know it’s during sort of a meteor shower right now, but the meteor shower in December isn’t like super crazy compared to the Perseids. And I was only out there for maybe ten minutes because it was so cold. So, I chose to see that as good luck.
I did not at all think that his bond would be changed. But I insisted on walking to the courthouse for this hearing, even though his family was in town from a different state for it, and offered to drive me. Because it’s relatively close to where I live, and I walk there every week to do a video conference visit for free. And I just needed to do it. And because I have such a terrible sense of direction in buildings, other than hospitals, I went to the second floor of the building first. Which, normally, I mean, the second — it’s a two-story building that has the main courthouse in an annex. And I normally am familiar with the annex and am not familiar with how it connects to the courthouse. So I went upstairs first and then tried to cross over, but it was under construction. And I stopped and asked for directions from somebody who is, just happened to be absolutely f***ing terrible at giving directions. They were talking about wooden doors, and they were all wooden doors. It’s a courthouse. Built a long time ago.
And I was already somewhat late. I was getting, I was within five minutes of the hearing. And I was real confused, and so when I turned around to go back the way I came, towards the stairwell which also had an elevator, I moved to get out of the way of a guard and this prisoner. And I have a terrible habit of looking at people’s clothing and feet before I look at their faces, and part of that is being so frickin’ short. And when I looked up, it was him. It was my boyfriend.
He made fun of me on the phone later for not recognizing him immediately. And we got to touch hands, and that’s the first time I’ve been able to touch him or even see him in person since the beginning of September. And although the bond hearing didn’t go the way it really should have in all fairness, in retrospect, I sort of feel like seeing that shooting star was my good luck sign for being able to touch him for once.