C.J. Carmichael - A Little Secret between Friends

“I just wish it wasn’t happening this way.” She hated knowing that her judicial appointment, the highlight of her career, was only possible because Willa Kendal had a chronic, eventually fatal, condition.

“Don’t get maudlin, Sally. I can’t handle that sort of thing. If it wasn’t my retirement, it would be someone else’s.”

In Canada, where judges were appointed for life, not elected, openings occurred under two circumstances only—the retirement or the death of an existing judge.

“This is your chance. You’ve earned it.”

“Thanks, Willa. You’ve been such a supportive friend to me.” Willa had hired her out of law school. Sally had articled at Willa’s firm, then later, when Willa had been appointed to the bench, she had introduced Sally to Gerald Thornton, who had brought her in as a junior partner at Crane, Whyte and Thornton.

“You think you don’t give as good as you get?” Willa abandoned her efforts to eat and downed the rest of her cola. Since court was in session this afternoon, she wasn’t drinking wine, her preferred luncheon beverage. “Now, tell me about that girl of yours. Is she still skiing competitively?”

Sally nodded. “The last race of the season is this weekend.”

“She’s pretty serious?”

Again Sally nodded. “Her coach seems to think she has Olympic potential.”

“You have mixed feelings about that?”

Sally wasn’t surprised at her friend’s perceptiveness. You didn’t get to be a judge without developing the ability to read people accurately. Once again, Willa was on the mark.

“I can’t help but wonder if Olympic-level skiing—with all the pressure, demands and risk of injury—is the right course for Lara. She says, yes, but she’s only sixteen. Is that really old enough to be making such an important decision?”

“What does that charming ex-husband of yours think?”

Sally tried not to resent Willa speaking of Neil in such positive terms. She reminded herself that Neil did seem to hold a special appeal for older women. And Willa knew nothing about the reasons for their divorce. Sally had never taken her into her confidence on that particular subject.

“He’s thrilled. He wasn’t much of an athlete when he was younger. I think he’s living vicariously through our daughter.”

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