ALL THAT MATTERS

ALANNA

The courtroom is a cold, sterile box, its fluorescent lights casting harsh shadows on the faces of strangers. I glance at the empty chair beside me, my nerves on edge. The echo of my heels on the polished floor feels like a drumbeat in my chest. Last night’s kiss with Nolan flits through my mind—intense, unexpected. But I push it aside. Today is about securing my children’s future, about getting full custody. Nothing else matters right now

My gaze flicks to the judge's bench. A sea of faces stares back, their expressions a blank canvas. I search for a flicker of sympathy, of understanding. Nothing. Just blank stares.

Mr. David, my lawyer, rises. His voice, a low rumble, cuts through the tension. "Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we stand before you today to defend the sacred bond between a mother and her children. Alanna, my client, is a woman of unwavering strength and resilience. She is a devoted mother who has sacrificed countless hours, sleepless nights, and p