Simply Sonny: An SVU love story

Chapter 81: Lies

The judge closes the day out, telling us we can pick up tomorrow morning after Barba asks to bring Lori on the stand. We leave the courthouse and luckily, there's only one reporter outside that everyone easily avoids. I'm thankful this isn't a media circus and no one seems to care too much about it to make headline news. That evening, Sonny and I sit down to eat dinner after another meeting with Gary. After ordering, we talk lowly, "these hourly meetings are adding up. I know Jason said we don't have to pay him back but I hate that he's paying for this."

"I was thinking" Sonny responds, "what if we don't get married on New Year's Eve." My heart breaks but I can't say I don't blame him. The tears sting my eyes but Sonny quickly spills, "no, no, no! I didn't mean it like that. I still want to get married." His hand reaches across the table to grab mine, "I just meant what if we don't have a big ceremony and reception. What if we just get married at the courthouse, elope. Then we can use that money to pay back Jason."

"But I want to get married in a church. It'll break your parent's hearts if we just elope, won't it?" I ask back, still wanting to marry him in a church.

"They'll get over it. And if we do it this way, we don't have to wait another 3 months to get married. We can go right away." He adds another reason.

I sigh, "I don't know, I was starting to get excited about having a wedding. Wearing a dress in a church." He nods as I continue to mull it over, "but planning all this with the trial has been a nightmare. It's still so soon and nothing's done."

"So, you'll consider it?" He questions.

I nod my head, the food coming out now, "yea, I'll think about it."

"Whatever you decide you want to do" he puts his napkin on his lap, "we'll make it work. I just want you to know that we have options."

I decide to ask, "and what's our option if I'm found guilty?"

I look down, afraid of his answer, "you won't be" he tries to insist back.

"But if I am?" I barely glance up.

He firmly says, "you won't. I can't even say it may happen because it won't." I decide not to push it any further, not wanting to cry at dinner.

First thing in the morning Barba calls Lori to the stand. After introductions and going over what her company does and her job title, they move on to talk about me, "and when did you hire the defendant to start working with clients?"

She replies, "sometime in early June."

This makes Gary start flipping through some papers as Barba continues, "and she started with Griffin, this has been her only student?"

Lori nods, "yes, I wanted to start her off slow. She had a great background as a teacher but not much when it came to working with at-risk youth."

Barba hums, "I see, and can you tell me what you remember about September 22nd?" He pushes on.

This is it, the lie the entire state's case is built off of, "Addison was sitting at her desk in the front room. I can see where she sits from my office. She got a call and when she hung up, she told me she had to go meet Griffin earlier than scheduled. I told her to mark it down in her notes later but to have a good session."

"And when did you learn that Griffin did not show for his session?" Barba asks her next.

"The next day. His foster mother called me to tell me he didn't come home from school." She informs everyone.

"And what did Ms. Collins do when she heard that?" Barba follows up, keeping things flowing.

She explains, "she appeared to be upset. She suggested we call her fiance."