Alicia
"Daddy, how can a lawyer defend someone when they know he's guilty?"
Alicia Cavannah had practically learned about the law at her father's knee. He left an
esteemed position with a downtown firm to teach at Loyola, much to her mother's dismay.
She had expected to married to a successful attorney by now, and living in Lake Forrest, Hi
Highland Park, or at the very least, Evanston. She didn't expect to be sharing a space in a
three-bedroom condo on Sheridan Road.
Alicia's father smiled lovingly. At least he had gained two terrific kids from his wreck of a marriage.
"Sweetie, it's not a lawyer's job to determine whether his client is guilty or innocent.
His job is to create reasonable doubt in the minds of a jury."
Alicia still wasn't quite sure what he meant. "What if, like ten people saw your client
murder somebody, and he was holding a gun, and had blood over all him? Would you still
defend him then?"
"Alicia, I'm very proud of you. You're very smart, and inquisitive. But these are
questions way beyond a thirteen year old perspective."
Alicia loved her father more than anybody. Except for Owen, maybe. She had already
decided at thirteen that she wanted to go to law school. She spent many Saturday
afternoons at the Loyola library, poring over law books.
She tried so hard to make her dad proud of her. That was why she always brought
home straight A's, never talked back, and unlike Owen, generally never got into any
trouble. Maybe if she was always the Perfect Daughter, her parents would stop fighting all
the time, and her mom wouldn't always threaten to leave.
But the end was inevitable, and it came when she was fifteen. Her mother kept the
place in Rogers Park, and her father moved into a smaller place with his girlfriend. Her
mother snagged Husband Number Two before Alicia finished high school.
She choose the University of Pennsylvania for college. They offered her a full
scholarship, and it was far away enough away that she would only have to come home to
Owen was angry with her, accusing her of deserting him and leaving him alone to deal with HER.
She spent her last night at home at the lake with Owen, drinking cheap wine, and a six
pack of Old Style. Her friends had wanted to take her out, but she felt she owed it to her
brother.
"What would Mom say if she knew you were getting me drunk?" Owen asked her.
"Oh come, Owen. You're fifteen, but I know for a fact that you've been drinking and
getting high since you were twelve."
She stared out at Lake Michigan. She had spent countless days here. This was where
she and Owen came on sweltering summer days to escape their parent's bickering.
"I can't believe I'm really going. It's so weird, Owen. Even though I know I'll come
back to Chicago, it just won't be the same."
Owen put an arm around his sister's shoulder. "You're gonna do great things out there
In the world, Alicia. I know it. And I know Dad is proud of you even if kind of has
disappeared from our lives."
It has been a long time, so please forgive me! I was busy with other writing endeavors. I do intend to continue with my other stories on this site at some point. This is slated to be a multiple story with Will's perspective to come….