Bruises

Ch.29-Suit and Armor

The trial was held four days later.

I got the sense everybody just wanted to get it over with. The police, the judge, the citizens, Sam and me. It would be a relief when it was.

I had already been through the pre-trial preparations all those years ago and I had no wish to go through it again. Once was enough, and I would do the best when I was in the courtroom. I had taken Sam to a few discussions with the lawyer who would be presenting us. Her name was Diana Armstrong and she was pretty scary. She gave me a little faith that hopefully we could win this.

I was in my room, nerves gnawing through my stomach as I slipped into an appropriate dress for a court hearing. I had just slid my arms through when the door opened and Sam walked in. He was donning dress pants and a nice white dress shirt. He smiled reassuringly at me, but I could tell he was just as nervous, if not more.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi," I returned.

"You ready for this?"

"No," I admitted. "Will you zip me up?"

He nodded, and I turned around. I gathered my hair so it was out of the way and he slowly slid the zipper up, careful not to catch it on anything. He placed a small kiss at the base of my neck when he finished and I faced him again, trying my hardest to smile and not look like I wanted to throw up. Which was what I really wanted to do.

"How about you?" I asked. "We're revisiting the trial of your father. And this time it's your uncle in the defendant's position."

He tucked hair behind my ear. "Honestly, I just want to see him taken down. I want both of them out of my life and out of my thoughts forever."

I smoothed my hand down his shirt, swallowing hard as my palm brushed the outline of the bandages he still had to wear. "I can understand that."

"And I want you safe," he added, grabbing my hand and brushing his lips against my palm. "I want that scared, paranoid look you always have in your eyes to disappear, and I know that will only happen when all of this is over and the outcome is in our favor."

I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around his neck. His snaked around me, holding me tightly to him. I wanted to remind him not to aggravate his wound but I couldn't get the words out. Sam's hugs were amazing. They made me feel wholesome and complete, better than anything else could.

"We'll get through it," he murmured into my hair. "It will be alright."

"I know," I replied. "I know."

We clung to each other for a few more minutes, until reality was adamant that we face the world. I sucked in a deep breath as we pulled away. I reached for his hand the same time he reached for mine, and we left the apartment together.

Outside-it was a whole different story than the quiet sanctity of our room.

I swore it was just like when I was nine, with reporters and journalists crawling all over the property. I could see Carl, my very peeved landlord, trying his damndest to shoo them all away. And it looked like he was having mild success, until Sam and I walked out and that energized them all anew.

The car was about fifteen feet away, but it seemed like we had to cross a bridge, a moat, and a mountain to get there. The nosy reporters were the enemy, and I felt like instead of our fancy clothes we had donned our armor. We would need it to make it through today.

Sam tucked me against him, shielding my face as he shoved his way through the flock of greedy buzzards. They fired questions and comments at us, some leering and others mostly innocent. They made my skin crawl, made my head hurt, and I was supremely thankful when we arrived unscathed at the car.