This Kiss

Chapter 112

After lunch, the family once again took their place at the prosecution table. Behind them Ava, Sam, Phillip, Beth, Blake, Josh, and Reva sat leaned close talking and giving Olivia as much support as possible while they waited on the judge to enter. The next row had Buzz, Lillian, Bill, Lizzie, Billy, Vanessa, Holly, who had flown in for the trial, Mallet, and Shane. Behind them sat James, Daisy, Ashley, who had also flown in for the trial, Jamanda, Remy, Christina, Matt, Rick, and Mindy. After that almost all of Springfield either sat or stood behind them with, again, only Marina sat behind Frank with a sour look on her face.

Once court was called to order, Natalia laced her fingers with her wife's and squeezed. She knew this would be difficult for the woman she loved, but hopefully with her testimony, this would all be over soon and Frank would be in prison for a very long time. After Frank was brought in and the judge asked for further witnesses, Natalia stood and helped Doris get her wife standing. The morning had taken its toll on Olivia and she refused a pain pill at lunch since she needed a clear head for what was to come. Natalia placed Olivia's cane in her hand and gave her a quick but heart felt peck before retaking her seat as Doris helped Olivia into the witness stand.

It had been a heavy debate between Doris and Mel on who should question Olivia, but Doris knew her friend would be more comfortable if it was her. She had spoken several times with Olivia about her testimony.

Doris leaned in close to Olivia, knowing only the judge and Olivia would hear her in her low tone. "Remember Olivia, it's just me and you talking, like any other day." Olivia nodded and Doris stood straighter and brought her voice back up to be heard by the room. "Mrs. Spencer-Rivera, I understand that you are having some trouble speaking, if at any time you need a break, just let me know." Olivia nodded again, knowing that fist comment was for the jury more than her. "Can you tell us what your relation with the defendant is?"

"At one t-time, we were f-friends, or I thought w-we were anyways."

"Was that recently, or a while ago?"

"Both."

"Can you explain that for us?"

"In years p-past, Frank and I h-had been friends. As Ms. M-Marler explained in h-her testimony, I d-did some pretty h-horrible things back then, and t-that was the end o-of any type of f-friendship for a while." Olivia spoke slowly, trying her hardest to stutter as little as possible. Although she knew it would play well for the jury, she never wanted to appear weak, no matter the circumstance.

"Did you regain a friendship at some point?"

"Yes. When Natalia a-and I started getting c-closer, building a friendship, I wanted t-to do something nice for h-her after a par-particularly bad day. I went to C-Company to get all her fav-favorite foods. Frank was th-there, and I suggested he join N-Natalia for dinner. I coached him a l-little on what to say to h-her, how to act. I guess t-that was the start of a f-friendship, at least until Natalia a-and I started seeing o-one another."

"Why would you do that Olivia? Coach someone else on a dinner you obviously put a lot a thought into?"

"I... I knew h-how I felt about Natalia t-then, had for a-awhile, but I didn't th-think she could ever feel the s-same. That was a f-few weeks before we t-told each other h-how we felt. I, I wanted h-her to be happy. F-Frank was a nice g-guy, I knew he would t-take care of her, g-give her the life she w-wanted. Give her what I n-never could."

Natalia watched and listened to her wife. Guilt welling in her stomach for not speaking up earlier. She had known how she felt and how Olivia felt since the day she collapsed outside Company and she had let Olivia think she wasn't good enough for her for so long. Although they had talked about it all during the course of their relationship, and both forgiven the other for misdeeds, it didn't stop the guilt she felt for allowing her wife to feel inadequate. She shook herself out of her inner monolog as she felt both her son and daughter place gentle hands on each of her shoulders, as if they could sense what she was feeling. She gave a slight smile to each of them and then returned her attention to her wife's testimony.