Scar (13 page)

Her mother smiled sadly. “I know, I’ve never been one to give compliments lightly, and lately with everything that’s gone on with you…and Deena…” her smile faded and her eyes grew incredibly sad. “I’ve had a lot of cause to rethink the way I’ve handled you girls.” She sniffed, and her eyes glimmered with unshed tears.

“Mom, it’s really okay,” Caelyn said. “You don’t need to say any of this. It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay, actually,” her mother replied. “I’m proud of you because you’re my daughter, and you’re so much stronger than I ever could be on my best day. You follow your heart, and even when you’ve made mistakes, it hasn’t stopped you from being
who
you are. I couldn’t be prouder than I am, right now, this very moment. I don’t care if you’re the best student or you marry a rich man or do any of those things. I don’t care
who
you choose to love, so long as it makes you happy. And I’m sorry that I never made you aware of that until today.”

Caelyn felt tears well up in her own eyes as she walked up the stairs and met her mother at the top, where they embraced for a long time.

Her mother broke down, sobbing in Caelyn’s arms and just saying over and over, the same words.

“I’m sorry.”

***

After that, everything else took on the quality of a waking dream.

Driving to the courthouse, the sky lightening as the sun came up over the horizon, and suddenly it was as though Caelyn was watching her life unfold in slow motion.

There was a quiet, understated beauty all around her.

The sadness was there, settling deeply into her bones, and yet the sadness had its own beauty too. She welcomed it almost—that strange companion, the sense of loss that was so deep it seemed to go on forever and ever.

She pictured Elijah’s face for the millionth time, pictured his smile, the sound of his voice when he told her he loved her, the smell of his skin, the taste of his tongue, the way his body felt when he was on top of her, holding her.

When would she be able to experience him again, kiss his lips, hold him close and know that he was keeping her safe always?

After today, she would know just how long it would be before they could be reunited. She was preparing herself for the absolute worst. Guessing from all that she’d seen and heard and read, Caelyn thought that the worst case scenario might be a sentence of twenty to thirty years.

Elijah might still be eligible for parole in ten years, even with a long sentence, but there was no guaranteeing that they would release him the first time he came up for parole.

If she heard the judge say twenty years, or God forbid, thirty years—she didn’t know if her heart could take it.

You have to take it, though
, she reminded herself.
You have to stand up under this weight for him—for Elijah. He’s going to look over at you, and you’re going to show him that you’re strong and sturdy and will be there for him, however long it takes.

There’s no one else but him.

I’ll wait as long as I need to wait.

Her hands gripped the steering wheel tighter and her heart beat sped up, knowing that each second was bringing her closer and closer to finding out their fate.

She parked near the courthouse and then walked up the steps to the imposing building. It was quiet; she’d gotten there early enough.

Before long, she’d gone through security and was waiting for court to be in session.

Caelyn sat on a bench and watched the different lawyers congregating, holding their briefcases, chatting with one another and with their clients. Some of them had
coffee,
a few were busy on their phones, making calls or texting.

The clients were all different but somehow similar, too. The clients were old and young, male and female, but they each had
a certain
tightness in their expressions, a certain anxiety, unable to fully smile or laugh or relax.

They, like her, were waiting to find out their fates.

***

Court was in session.

Caelyn hadn’t ever been to court before, and it was a strange experience. She looked around and hadn’t yet seen Elijah, but people were still filtering inside the actual courtroom.

The judge sat down in his black robe, looking every bit the part. He was red-faced, white-haired, with light blue eyes and a pair of glasses that perched on his nose, which he adjusted when reading documents.

He was short and to the point when he spoke, and although he could be gruff, occasionally he showed flashes of humor.

The courtroom was full of people—those who were there for hearings and those who were there as lawyers, or family or supporting personnel. Everyone mixed in together, sitting side-by-side, although there wasn’t much talking aside from those who were standing before the judge.

She was surprised to see how quickly the action moved once the judge had called the names on his docket.

Often it was just one lone person who was called up on charges of disorderly conduct, or drunk driving, or harassment, or possession of illegal substances.

The judge would read the charges and then the person would state their plea. Some of the time they pled not guilty, and then the state would make their case for a trial date, and the defense would comment, and the judge would rule. And then, just as quickly as it started, it would end. Or maybe they would plea guilty with some kind of deal that had already been worked out between defense and prosecution.

Occasionally, the defendant would actually state their case there and then, and the judge would ask some questions, and then—just as quickly as it started—he would make a ruling.

Caelyn tried to study the judge’s rulings and his sentencing, watched how he treated the defendants, especially those who pled guilty to more serious charges.

Caelyn couldn’t exactly see a pattern.

She was left feeling like the whole thing was kind of a crapshoot. The judge had his reasons, and he stated his opinions, but none of it seemed predictable or obvious.

Some of the court had cleared out by the time Elijah and his lawyer entered the courtroom.

Elijah came in in handcuffs, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She really wished that he had worn a suit for this hearing, but Elijah probably wouldn’t have listened to her anyway. Behind him, just to his left, a uniformed police officer escorted him.

She watched Elijah as he entered, his eyes scanning the courtroom until he found her. The moment he saw her, Elijah’s entire posture straightened, as though some great degree of tension had been released and he was fifty pounds lighter. He took a deep breath and then smiled, his eyes conveying his appreciation that she’d made it.

His lawyer, a small woman with curly brown hair, leaned over and whispered something into his ear. Elijah nodded.

The judge saw them and made a sour face. “Counselor, please approach,” he said, nodding to Elijah’s lawyer.

“Your honor, we’re still waiting for the district attorney to arrive,” she replied.

“I’d like to start your proceedings before we recess,” the judge said. “I’m going to continue on until the state arrives,” he said. “If they arrive within the hour, we’ll hear your case. If not, you’ll have to wait until after lunch.”

“Understood, Your Honor,” Elijah’s lawyer replied. Then she and the police officer ushered Elijah over to one of the front benches and sat down, waiting.

Elijah was now blocked from Caelyn’s view.

Caelyn felt like she wanted to jump out of her skin, she was so anxious. She fidgeted, scratching her arm, jiggling her leg, tapping her foot, taking deep, nervous breaths, running her hand through her hair.

It was like every minute was an hour passing—the time going by felt excruciatingly slow and tedious.

The judge heard two more cases before the district attorney finally arrived. The district attorney was a tall black man with a thin mustache and graying hair that looked distinguished.

The district attorney sat down and began speaking with Elijah’s attorney. They appeared to be arguing, although Caelyn couldn’t really tell for sure.

The judge looked over at the lawyers as a short break between cases came to an end. “Are we ready, counselors?”

“Yes, your honor,” Elijah’s lawyer replied.

“Yes, your honor,” the district attorney said.

“Wonderful, then.” The judge took a sip of water and the bailiff walked slowly over as Elijah got up. The bailiff escorted Elijah to where he was supposed to stand, while the lawyers stood nearby in a different section.

Caelyn could only see Elijah from behind, and he looked stiff and tense.

The judge then read the charges against Elijah and then asked, “In the matter of the
State vs. Daniels
,
Mr. Daniels, how do you plead?”

Elijah stepped forward slightly. “Guilty, Your Honor.” His voice rang out loudly in the courtroom, and to Caelyn, it seemed as though it penetrated right through to her very core.

“Counsel, have you reached a settlement?”

The District Attorney answered. “No, we have not, Your Honor. However, the state requests, in light of the defendant’s prior history of repeated offenses as well as these recent charges, that His Honor give the maximum sentence for each penalty, and that these sentences should run concurrently rather than consecutively.”

The judge raised his eyebrows, and then pulled his glasses down slightly and looked straight at Elijah. “Mr. Daniels, do you know that by pleading guilty you lose the right to a jury trial?”

Elijah nodded. “I do, Your Honor.”

Caelyn bit her lower lip. She was going to be sick to her stomach right there and then in the courtroom. She closed her eyes tightly and willed the nausea to pass, and after a few moments, it did. She opened her eyes and sighed, trying to hold it together the best she could, even as she saw Elijah slipping further away from her.

“Do you understand what giving up that right means?” the judge asked Elijah, as if prodding him to change his plea.

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“Is there any testimony for extenuating circumstances that the defendant’s counsel would care to make at this time?”

“No, Your Honor.”

Caelyn couldn’t believe her ears. Why wasn’t he or his lawyer even going to say anything in his own defense, play the video of him saving that family, something—anything that might sway the judge in his favor?

She knew that without the evidence in his hands, the judge couldn’t use it to make a more favorable ruling. And she was utterly sickened that Elijah’s lawyer hadn’t even made an attempt to get something of that nature admitted.

“Well,” the judge said, sighing, “in that case I am prepared to make my ruling now.”

“Excuse me, Your Honor?” someone asked from behind Caelyn. She turned around and saw a vaguely familiar face, but she wasn’t sure why.

“Sir, we’re in the middle of a hearing,” the judge admonished.

“Excuse me, Your Honor, but my wife and daughter and I would like to speak on behalf of the defendant if possible,” the man said, and suddenly Caelyn realized who it was.

It was the father who Elijah had rescued from the burning house. Next to him sat his wife and teenage daughter. The youngest wasn’t there, but now that she’d made the connection, Caelyn could even see the telltale scars from the burns that the fire had caused.

“Excuse me, but who exactly are you?” the judge asked.

“My name is Tom Fischer and the defendant saved my life. My wife and daughter are also here, since he saved their lives as well.”

The judge sat back and crossed his arms. “Is
there
any question about these people being who they say they are?” he asked the lawyers, who were muttering to one another.

Elijah turned and looked back at Caelyn, then returned his attention to the judge and the now bickering lawyers.

Caelyn felt a surge of hope.

“Your Honor,” the District Attorney said, “we respectfully request that this testimony not be heard, as the state does not believe it fits the criteria for extenuating circumstances in regards to the charges at hand. The defendant’s actions concerning the Fischer family, whether beneficial or not, have little bearing on the crimes he committed which have placed him before you today.”

The defense attorney then made her argument that Tom Fischer’s testimony
be
allowed, and she referenced case law that backed up her assertions. The District Attorney interrupted her, citing his own case law, after which the judge silenced both of them, putting his hands in the air.

“I’m going to rule in favor of allowing this testimony,” he said, sitting up straighter and pushing his glasses toward his eyes. “As it is, the defendant has pled guilty, so I’m inclined to at least hear what these people have to say if it can shed any light on sentencing.”

The District Attorney shook his head and looked disgusted.

There was some commotion in the court as Tom was sworn in for testimony.

Caelyn could hear murmurs and mutters from the other people in the courtroom, and she saw some people who might have been reporters taking notes on the proceedings.