Merritt nodded. “It is.”
A beat of silence passed.
“With one, you could probably limp along at the CAO full-time,” Merritt said. “But two? You’ll have to make a choice. Esther won’t let you half-ass either job, and frankly, neither will I.”
Colin stared at the white linen tablecloth, hands clenched in his lap. His voice came out quieter. “That’s not a small decision.”
“No,” Merritt said. “It’s not.” Then, more gently, “But I don’t think you went all the way to hell and back just to survive, Colin. I think you came back to transform. To become something more, something larger than you were before you left.” He met his student’s eyes. “Still interested?”
Colin bowed his head, thinking. The hum of the restaurant faded beneath the roar in his head. “Can I talk to Josh first and get back to you?”
“You can,” Merritt said, lifting his glass. “But I’ll need an answer fast.”
Colin stepped backinto the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office like a man living in two dimensions—one leg hip deep in the courtroom grind, the rest of him floating three feet above the UVA law quad.
He was halfway through drafting an email to a detective when he realized he’d written “syllabus” instead of “statement.” Twice.
His legal pad sat untouched beside him, and for the first time since returning to work, the silence in his office felt loud. He pushed away from the desk and stood, staring out the window toward the Rivanna, his thoughts miles away. He was not focused on cross-examination strategy or evidence logs but on whiteboards and casebooks—a room full of wide-eyed students waiting for the spark that would set their purpose in motion.God help me,he thought.I want this.
He triedto lower his emotional temperature as he drove home, but inside, it felt like the Fourth of July—fireworks of excitement blazing and flaring in his chest. Until the very moment Julian Merritt uttered those amazing words, the idea of teaching law at UVA had been nothing more than an amusing and highly provocative daydream… a thought without shape… a vision that would never—could never—see the light of day.
Meyers, his Contracts professor: stern, brilliant, unforgiving as a snake. Aimsbridge, Legal Ethics: cold and withering, an intellect so sharp it cut the room in half. He taught the rules of honor in the practice of law like a shining beacon in a darkeneduniverse. And Merritt. His sponsor, his mentor. He didn’t just teach Criminal Investigations—he dissected it down to the last molecule. Pushed his students to questioneverything, especially their own assumptions.
These men weregiants. Miles above him. He had never—ever—imagined himself walking among them.
Until now.
He burst through the front door, shouting Joshua’s name, spinning toward the stairs at the sound of footsteps pounding down.
“Colin? What’swrong?”
He grabbed Joshua’s hands and pulled him into the living room, dragging him down onto the couch. His chest was still heaving, breath catching like it couldn’t quite keep up, but a smile spread across his face, wide and brilliant as sunlight on water. “Nothing’s wrong!Nothing! Merritt—oh Jesus, Josh—Merritt wants me to teach at UVA!”
Joshua’s mouth fell open, eyes wide, confused. “Teach—what?”
Colin bit his lip, then his grin widened, his face alight with happiness. “Law, my darling boy.Law.”
The astonishment stayed frozen on Joshua’s face for a heartbeat—then his chocolate-brown eyes welled, shining with tears.
“It’s an adjunct position,” Colin added quickly. “No tenure. But—god, Josh?—”
Joshua pulled in a shuddering breath, and the tears spilled, silent and clean, down his cheeks. He covered his face with both hands and bent forward, overcome, shaking with sobs.
“Josh?” Colin’s voice cracked. “Honey, are you OK? I won’t do it if you don’t want me to!” He gripped Joshua’s shoulders and gently pulled him upright. “Josh?”
Joshua lowered his hands—and the look on his face was radiant, shining with joy so bright it stole Colin’s breath.
“Oh my God, Colin,” he whispered. “It’sperfect. It’syou! It couldn’tbemore perfect!”
He cupped Colin’s face. “Your passion. Your fire. Yourbrilliantmind. Your love of the law. My god, you’ll beextraordinary!” His voice caught on the words, tears still streaking down his cheeks. “You’ll help mold the minds of the nextgenerationof law students at UVA!” He shook his head, still smiling through his tears. “I’m so proud of you!”
Colin held him tightly in his arms, their tears mingling as they sat together, still breathing in soft sobs, joy spilling and overflowing between them. Finally, Colin leaned back, both hands grasping Joshua’s arms. “I take it then that you’d approve of me taking this position.”
Joshua burst into laughter. “You take it correctly...Professor.”
Colin kissed him, skating his thumb across the upswept curve of Joshua’s cheek, wiping away the last of his tears. “Think about this, Josh. I’d have to go part-time at CAO, and I don’t even know if they’d allow it. I haven’t talked to Esther… or Norm.” He winced, his face tightening in a flash of raw conflict. “God, I don’t want to hurt them!”
Joshua’s gaze shifted, drifting past Colin’s shoulder toward the octagon window, its sheer curtains moving softly in the evening breeze. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then he looked back, steady and sure.
