The judge asked Joan, “Is there no chance of reconciliation?” and Amelie silently balked because she took “reconciliation” to be a euphemism for resuming a sexual relationship—according to Maryland law, a separation is only valid if the spouses lived in separate homes without “sexual relations” for twelve months. The question felt paternalistic to her. “I get to have sex with my ex-partner if I want to,” Amelie says. “I mean, honestly. Why does the judge of the state of Maryland have to ask that question?”
