12-The verdict

I woke up around 7 on that Sunday morning. I made sure my phone was on so that I didn't miss any calls from Steven. After an hour of lying in bed and checking my phone a thousand times, I finally decided to do a breathing exercise just to try and relax. I felt like I was about to get a panic attack. While doing the exercises, I felt better but as soon as I finished, I found myself anticipating the result of the case again. What if? What if we lose? What will I do if we lose?

Although it was still early, I decided to go and take a shower just to keep my mind distracted on something else other than Yoké. When I was about to step into the shower I heard a knock on the front door. I heard Rosalie open the door. I hope that it isn't my father. When I came to the door, she was standing there with a bouquet of roses in her hand. Pink roses.

"Good morning, ma'am." She greeted, holding the flowers towards me.

I frowned moving the flowers to one side, looking for a note. There was. The flowers were still in her hands.

Making sure that you are still thinking of me. Your one and only. Nat.

"Rosalie, please put them in water." I told her.

"Okay ma'am." She said, walking away.

Rosalie was the only housekeeper I had. I didn't want one after coming back to Duran, but mom insisted that I needed as much rest as possible, especially after she heard my water well experiences. So, I had no choice but to get one. Rosalie doesn't stay with me. She stays at the mansion, only gets here around 6 in the morning and leaves around 6 in the evening. She usually just cleans, cooks, and does my laundry. Much like Gamu. The only difference was that we were not friends. Rosalie couldn't even begin to be friends with me. She feared me so much even though I didn't give her a reason to.

I went into the bathroom with my phone and placed it on the toilet pot so that I could get to it quicker if it rang. I didn't sing in the shower this morning. I kept the water pressure low and avoided any unnecessary noise that could cause me not to hear my phone.

When I finished dressing, I decided that I should go to the courthouse. I couldn't bare sitting here like this. Waiting wasn't doing me any good. I had to be there and watch everything unfold before me. It was now a few minutes past 9. As I was about to leave the house my phone began ringing. I panicked and started rummaging my purse for it. To my dismay, it was not Steven calling. It was Nathan.

"Hey." I said in monotone.

"Hey baby." He said on the other side. "Get the flowers?"

"Oh!" I realized that I hadn't even called to say thank you or texted. "Yeah, I actually just received them and was about to call you now."

"You like them?"

"Of cause. You know I love roses." I told him.

I started loving roses after Yoké's lesson with the village kids. The three men lesson. I felt butterflies in my stomach suddenly. Feeling nervous. Nervous for today's outcome.

"Yeah, I knew you'd like them." He told me as I stopped in front of my black mustang, the door already opened, for me. "Anyway, Raphael just told me that your mom decided to throw a party tonight. So suddenly."

"Yeah... That's my mom..."

"So, I'll pick you up tonight then we can go together." He told me. "Sounds good?"

"What time is the party?" I asked him.

"All your family parties are always in the evening. You forgot?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, sure then. It sounds good." I said.

I got into the back seat. I was waiting for him to hang up so Finn could start the car.

"Alright." He replied. He sounded so relaxed on the other side. As if he was not planning on hanging up anytime soon. "What are you doing now?"

"I'm still in bed actually." I told him.

"Yeah, me too." He responded. "Wish you were here..."

For a second I didn't know what to say. Just sat there impatiently tapping my foot.

"Yeah, hey?" I responded. "You know what. I think I'm gonna go take a shower now. I'll call you later."

"Sure babe." He said.

"Alright."

"Love you..."

I had to be evil not to, so I replied, "I love you, too."

***

When I got to the courthouse, I covered my head with the hoodie of my coat. But what's the use? People seemed to recognize me anyway. With Finn behind me as usual, we made our way to court B3. Yoké wasn't there, like Steven had said. There were only a few people in the courtroom sitting down. Steven was in front, standing before the prosecutor and talking. It was mostly law jargon, so I didn't understand most of the things he was saying. He was mentioning laws and sections and numbers and letters.

There was another man sitting at the front that kept interrupting him and saying "Objection, your honour."

I sat in the last row and looked at Finn next to me. He returned my gaze. He looked back at me like he was about to ask me why I was so concerned with the Danlie Forbes case. But he knew that it was not in his job description to question or intervene in my private matters, unless it was related to my safety, of cause.

I sat through an hour of "your honour" and "objection" from both Steven and the other lawyer. After that, the prosecutor retired to her chambers.

I came up to Steven.

"What's happening?" I asked him. "Are we winning?"

"That state lawyer is really good. He keeps finding ways to make my points seem so weak." Steven said fixing his glasses on top of his long nose. "Just keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. At least a lighter sentence."

After he said that I just felt completely hopeless. Like when you know there's no chance of something you want happening but still stand there waiting.

"When the prosecutor comes back, she'll tell us her final decision."

I didn't know what to say so I went back to my seat and sat down. Lauren told me that whenever I am in a difficult situation, I should always try to think of something positive about that situation no matter how bad it is. So, I tried to think of something more positive that could come out of this. Well, at least now Steven would put me on Yoké's visiting list and I would be able to visit him all the time.

The prosecutor came back from her chamber.

"All rise." The same police officer at the door said.

We all stood up and then sat back down when the prosecutor sat down. When she began speaking my heart started beating faster. It was as if all the other little noises were now muffled and only her voice reigned. I heard every word she said this time. I still can't remember in which order she said it, because it didn't matter after I heard the most important part of her speech. The verdict.