I was a Mistake

The Trial

I wanted to skip forward because I didn't want to make it seem unrealistic. However, I did a lot of research and hope this makes sense! As always, thank you for reading!

Eight Months Later

I was hyperventilating. While gasping for breath and raising my hands above my head, Noah was frantically pacing, knowing there was nothing he could do for me. My lawyer stood beside me dressed in a blue suit, briefcase in his hands, appearing confident and poised. I wished I could be more like him.

Today was the day I would be forced to face my mother for the first time in almost eight months. I would be asked to testify against her and would likely be the deciding factor on how long she went to jail. That is if she went at all.

It had been a long battle of hearings and court time. This would be the final trial. There was no telling how long the process would be, but it was an estimated three days of this torture. Noah, Joseph, and Isaiah had the week off of school and would be there for me for support. The rest of the Winters, including Jenna, were here too. I was more than a little worried they'd not want anything to do with me after hearing everything the defendant had to say.

"Love," Mrs. Winters consoled. "Most everyone in there is on your side. You have nothing to worry about. You only need to talk if you think you can. Otherwise, they've set up a screen and you could type your response if need be. We love you. We know you can do this. This will make you one step closer to being free from your pain." Mrs. Winters always knew what to say to calm me down and I breathed easier with her words.

After I had calmed down a little, I was led into the courtroom behind my lawyer. The Winters had taken a seat behind my table on the right-hand side of the judge. My new family looked amazing, each boy in a nice suit and Mrs. Winters and Jenna wore a dress.

I couldn't help but notice that Noah looked rough. I still thought he was heartbreakingly handsome in his suit, but the dark circles under his eyes almost made him look sick. I had nightmares every night and they seemed to be taking more of a toll on him than me. I tried to hide when I had them, I truly did, but Noah always knew and knocked on my door in the middle of the night to attempt and make me feel better.

"Okay, Eden," Mr. Franklin, my lawyer, prepped, "this will likely be very hard for you, but I have full faith that you can get through it. You have most everyone in this room on your side and we have evidence that will help us prove this. Just answer your questions honestly, and let me take care of the rest."

❃❃❃

When my mother walked in, I almost fainted. She was wearing an orange jumpsuit and her blonde hair was grown out and frizzy. She had a crazed look in her eyes and her face looked worn down.

When she looked into my eyes, her lips molded into an ugly sneer and she winked at me. I could feel my breath speeding up and the darkness creeping in, telling me I was going to pass out if I didn't look away quickly. I turned around to my new family, all looking back with kind eyes. Instantly, the dark fog cleared and I felt like I'd be able to get through anything with their support. Once my mother was seated, we sat patiently, awaiting the arrival of a judge.

A large man in a suit was standing next to a door. When he said, "All rise. The one-two-four Court of Michigan under Judge Hausman is now in session," we stood up and watched an older woman walk in. My knees knocked together under my dress. Judge Hausman was clothed in a long black robe, her face severe with downturned eyebrows and lips.

"Thank you, you may be seated. The court is now in session." Judge Hausman's voice filled the courtroom with a strict edge to it. "We call case number Twenty-four-hundred-six-hundred-and-seventy-three, the State of Michigan vs. Shanie Morrison. This is a criminal case brought by the State of Michigan charging the defendant, Shanie Morrison, with first-degree child abuse. The defendant admits that she hit Eden Morrison, but was only disciplining the child. Is the prosecution ready?"