The glow of your office lamp flickered slightly, a small annoyance you didn't have the energy to fix as you pored over the files stacked high on your desk. Hours of research had left you bleary-eyed, but you couldn't stop. Not now.
The new case you'd taken on was already the most high-profile of your career—a pair of teenage brothers accused of killing their parents. But it wasn't just the gravity of the charges that kept you awake at night; it was the haunting similarity to a case that had shaped the very trajectory of your life: the Menendez brothers.
You'd been just a teenager when you first learned about the trial. Leslie Abramson had captivated you—not just for her legal expertise, but for her humanity, her unrelenting drive to fight for her client's lives. She was your idol, your inspiration, the reason you'd gone to law school. And now, years later, you were walking a path so eerily similar it felt like fate.
But fate didn't make the pressure any easier.
By the time you got home, the clock was inching toward midnight. The door clicked softly behind you as you dropped your briefcase by the entryway, kicked off your heels, and rubbed at your aching temples.
"Nick?" you called, your voice tired but hopeful.
"In here," came his familiar voice from the kitchen.
You followed the sound, and the sight of him instantly eased some of the tension in your chest. He was leaning against the counter, a mug in his hand, his glasses perched on his nose as he flipped through a script. He looked up when he saw you, his face softening into a smile.
"There's my hardworking attorney," he said, setting the script aside. "You look exhausted."
"That's because I am," you admitted, walking toward him. "Long day doesn't even begin to cover it."
He moved to you instantly, wrapping an arm around your waist and pressing a kiss to your forehead. "Tea's on the stove. Sit, I'll pour you a cup."
Grateful, you sank into one of the kitchen chairs, resting your head in your hands as Nick moved around the kitchen. He set a steaming mug in front of you a moment later and took the seat across from you, studying your face.
"You want to talk about it?" he asked gently.
You hesitated, staring into the tea like it held the answers you were searching for. "It's... the new case. It's big, Nick. Bigger than I ever imagined."
"How big?"
You took a deep breath before answering. "Two brothers. They're accused of killing their parents. Same story, same dynamics, everything. It's the Menendez case all over again."
Nick blinked, leaning back slightly. "Wow."
"Yeah." You let out a shaky breath. "It's the kind of case that could define my career. But it's also the kind of case that could destroy me if I screw it up."
He nodded slowly, his expression growing serious. "That's a lot to carry."
"And that's not even the half of it," you continued, the words spilling out now. "Nick, you know the Menendez case is why I became a lawyer, right? Leslie Abramson was my hero. She fought tooth and nail for Erik, for justice. I wanted to be just like her."
"I remember," he said softly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You told me that the first time we watched Law & Order together. You kept pausing the episode to compare it to Leslie."
You laughed lightly at the memory, but the weight of your current reality quickly settled back in. "And now, here I am, with my own version of that case. But I'm terrified, Nick. What if I'm not good enough? What if I can't do for these boys what Leslie did for Erik?"
