Hours later, her sobs dissolved and she lay in her bed shuddering as she entangled herself in the sheets. And it was in those exhausting moments when her eyes began to close. But then something happened….
Her eyes were wide as she looked around the courtroom; which was unlike any courtroom she'd ever seen. In fact, it was hardly a courtroom at all. It was an odd combination of two places she'd come to know very well. On one side was the home she'd lived in at the Elliott Bay Towers for so many years, complete with a stunning view of the Seattle Space Needle in the middle of the skyline. On the other side was another large window; this one with a stunning view of the picturesque mountains that mirrored the view from her room in Niles' cabin. The walls were wooden and warm, just like the place she'd retreated to only a few days before. But how a courtroom could be composed of two very different living spaces; the modern Elliott Bay Towers and the somewhat rustic and yet luxurious cabin in the mountains was beyond her.
It was baffling to say the least, but how did she get here? And why?
A shadow fell behind her and she turned to see a familiar face. Wearing a black judge's robe and a scowl, Daphne's heart began to race.
"Mrs. Douglas?"
The minute she had spoken the words, she regretted them… deeply. She swallowed hard, looking the still-scowling woman in the eye.
"I thought I told you to call me Mother Douglas!" Donny's mother bellowed.
Donny's mother… The woman who was supposed to be her mother in-law…. Until she'd shattered his heart. Daphne took a few steps backwards. "I-I…"
"Be quiet!" Mother Douglas yelled, her harsh words shaking Daphne to the core. "Do you realize what you've done?"
"I-."
"You betrayed my son! You broke a promise to him! He promised to love you and promised you the stars and how do you repay him? By falling in love with someone else?"
"I-I'm sorry. I just couldn't help meself! And I couldn't marry Donny... Not when I was constantly thinking of someone else!"
Mother Douglas was still yelling, but Daphne was no longer listening. She fell to her knees sobbing. And then she felt someone touching her. She tensed and tried to move away, but then she felt something else; a gentle hand moving through her hair. It was soothing, peaceful. As she stood in judgment before Mother Douglas, the questions came back to haunt her. Why hadn't she broken up with Donny long before they had begun to make wedding plans? Before she knew that the man she truly loved wasn't Donny at all… Before she'd hurt him so deeply?
The questions would remain unanswered, but it didn't matter. The damage was already done. It was too late to change things now.