Rachel asks me to come to her office

As I said, my oldest stepdaughter, Rachel, is a lawyer, and even though she's just passed the bar, she's destined for great things. She's a clerk for a federal judge; twenty years from now, she'll probably be arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court.

Anyway, out of the blue, Rachel asks if I'll come meet her at her office for lunch. She cautions me, though, not to tell her mother about the meeting. Intrigued, I agree to her conditions.

I get to the Federal Court Building and make my way to her very small office. Rachel closes the door and tells me...