Taylor's POV
The recess Judge Hood gave only lasted about ten minutes, most of which, Shawn was in the bathroom. He came back right when the trial started. "What were you doing in there," I asked. "Thinking. What if we don't win the trial? I don't want him to be let off as a free man." he whispered. "If we don't win, I will do up and slap some sense into that judge because they only gave one piece of evidence. And that was fake. He wasn't called up to the witness stand, he hasn't said anything to defend himself, so I don't think he has any chance of winning this Shawn. Don't worry, we've got this in the bag." I said, but it sounded like I was trying to convince myself as well. Judge Hood walked back out of his room, causing all talking in the courtroom to stop. "All right. I've come to a verdict." I leaned forward in my seat with anticipation, waiting to hear that the bastard was guilty.
"Mr. Caniff you are now hereby found...........innocent of your crimes." I heard shouts and yells of protests coming from my mother and other people in the courtroom. I looked sideways to see Shawn's with his head down on the table, shoulders shaking up and down. He was crying. I pulled him into my chest, rubbing my hand comfortingly up and down his back, trying to drown out the sound of my father and his lawyer celebrating his innocence and release from jail. "It's OK, Shawn." He pulled back out of my chest, fists stilled balled up in my shirt. "It's not OK! He's a free man after all the stuff he did! It's not fair! He doen't deserve to be free! I knew I shouldn't even have come to America. The justice system isn't even fair here!" He cried. I looked to the side and saw my dad cheering, jumping up and down, pumping his fists in the air, screaming "Freedom! Freedom!" I gritted my teeth together to stop myself from going over there and killing him. I just sat there, letting Shawn's tears soak up my shirt, rubbing his back while telling him it was ok. I'm pretty sure he knew it wasn't ok and so did I.
"Wait a second!" Judge Hood yelled over all the screaming. "I have a confession," he said. I hope it was that he was going to go jump off a cliff or to a mental institution because there is no way in hell that my father was innocent. "April Fools! Even though it's freaking August. Mr. Caniff is actually guilty. Everyone is dismissed," he said while he slammed the gavel once more and disappeared into the back room. The look on my dad's face was so freaking comical. i actually laughed a little at him. He was wide-eyed and looking around as if searching for answers or hidden cameras.
Shawn took his head off my chest, surprising me with a huge smile on his face. His eyes were still bloodshot but still shining with happiness. He grabbed my shoulders, shaking them. "We did it! We did it! We did it! We did it!" I grabbed his hands that were on my shoulders to stop him from shaking them and looked deep into his chocolate brown eyes. "I know. We did it," I whispered. I leaned in for a kiss that he happily returned. I pulled back after a couple seconds, put our foreheads and smiled. I looked over his shoulder at my dad who was now going to be in jail for the next 60 years of his life, if he lasted that long in jail.
He was having his handcuffs put on him forcefully because he kept thrashing around and resisting. They were being a little rough with him, but I told myself that he doesn't need pity or sorrow. "He was just kidding about the April Fool's thing, right? He was just kidding! No! What are you doing? My lawyer will here about this! I'm Innocent!" He yelled as they dragged him from the courtroom.
The officer who previously escorted us to the hearing escorted us back out. My mom was pushing the stroller in one hand, in which the children were awake from all the noise, and a handkerchief in the other, wiping tears of joy that streamed down her face. At least, I hoped they were tears of joy. "Mom, are you OK," I asked. She laughed then sniffled. "Oh honey I'm fine. I'm relieved. While in there, the lawyer told us that the divorce was final. Praise!" I was surprised at first but then smiled. I picked up Liam in my arms, slightly throwing him in the air to catch him again.
