Chapter 50
"I thought I was going to be a bit braver than this today but ever since I got up I feel as if I am all fingers and thumbs," said Kayla as Steve came into the bedroom which he shared with the love of his life. He was carrying a cup of coffee which she was glad to see.
That was the day the two of them were going to find out if Grayson was going to go down for the rape of Kayla and of Sophie and she had thought …
Well she did not know what she thought.
"I do not want to ever hear you say something like that again," he said to her as he looked her in the eye. She had gone through so much and she had been under so much pressure and the last thing in the world which he was going to let do was bully herself right then. She had been so brave.
She looked up at him as put the coffee down on the bedside table. He then took over doing the buttons up on the shirt she had been struggling to do and smiled up at him.
"You know I do not know what I would have done these last few months if you had not come back to me."
He had come back when she had needed him the very most.
He should never have left her but he had come back…
"Sweetness, I think that is the other way around."
She had saved him time and time and time again.
And he had a feeling that she was going to save him many more times before the two of them were through.
Breakfast in their apartment that day was a very quiet affair.
"Morning mom," Steph said and Kayla went into the kitchen and Joe said nothing but came to hug his mother.
Kayla did not know how much he knew of the court case and the details he understood but she was very aware of the fact her baby boy knew that one was a big day. She knew for a fact they had tried to protect him from it all as much as they could, but these days that was not always enough. There was always the internet after all.
To his credit, Joe did not try and make it any harder for her and when the time came for him to head out the door to go to school, he did so with the promise to her that he was going to work hard.
"He is such a good kid," Kayla said as Steve shut the door behind their son.
She could only hope that he was going to be able to keep his promise. The one comfort which she had was the fact that his cousin Ciara was going to be there for him. He was not going to be on his own with his worries.
Hopefully, that would see him through the day.
As for her, she had her daughter and her husband to do that for her, to keep her company and her worries at bay.
In all honesty, when Steph had first said that she was going to come to court with the two of them, she had wanted to try and put her off but when all was said and done she was a grown woman and if she went she was not going to learn anything which she did not know. The worst that could happen now was he got off and she saw her mother cry once more. It would be unpleasant but by no means the worst thing Stephanie had been through – and she had worked as hard as she could to get justice for her mother, even when she should not have done.
And besides, since the two of them had been in contact she had made a firm friendship with Sophie and Kayla had a feeling having Steph there was going to help her.
Time seemed to go slower the closer they got to going to court.
She was sure it was the longest breakfast they had ever had and it gave her plenty of time for pacing…
And yet when they got in the car it seemed to speed up. In silence, the three of them drove down the road and away from the family home… and all Kayla wanted to do was turn back.
x x x
Joey Johnson went to school that day but as hard as he tried and he did try as hard as he could, he could not focus on what was going on.
He felt as if he sleep walked through algebra and science and was no better when he got to English.
Ciara knew what was going on with her cousin and so as much as she could she made up her own notes so they were going to be easy to pass to Joey when he asked for them. This was one day and this one day was going to pass. By the way that her mother and father had been talking over breakfast that day there was only ever going to be one verdict.
She just hoped they were right.
More than once, she felt her own concentration slip as the truth was her own thoughts remained with her aunt through the day. But just as was the case with every single member of her family right then, all she had to do was keep going and keep putting one foot in front of the other… and everything would work itself out.
x x x
The nearer they got to the court the more Kayla did not know if she was going to be able to do this. If she could stand up and be counted again. Yet a voice in her head said that if Sophie could do this then she had too. She owed it to the young girl who had shown how much courage and to the other women he might hurt if he was left on the street again.
She breathed and reminded herself of all the blessings which she had in her life.
That was what mattered she thought as she held on to Steve's hand. And that was what was going to get her through this.
None of them said a lot on the way to the court house or even when they got there, but when they did Kayla was heartened but not particularly surprised to see her family had made the extra mile, to all be there for her that day.
Marlena, John and Roman were waiting with Kim and Shane. Bo and Hope were there as well, in their role with the force.
As usual the last thing in the world that she was, was on her own. They were never going to let that happen.
"Mom wanted to come as well but I thought it was going to be a little too much for her," Kimberly said as she took Kayla's hand, and the truth was she had been afraid to have her mother there with her as well might break Kayla's resolve a little.
Kayla nodded. Her sister had made a good call.
As much as there was a part of her which was always going to want her mom with her when she was in trouble, Kayla did not want Caroline to have to witness this. She was too old and she had been through too much in her life.
"Well, we can go and see her afterwards," Kayla said to her sister with as much of a bright smile as she felt she was able to muster right then.
Her sister responded with a nod.
"I am sure we are going to be able to take her good news." Kim responded.
Kayla nodded and together they all walked into the court house – once they were inside, there was a fair amount of waiting around but eventually, they were called in to court.
Kayla sat between her big sister and her husband and did not let go of their hands once… she breathed deeply.
Then all of a sudden, the judge was talking but she did not take much account of him.
All she saw was Grayson. And where she had not wanted to look at him when she had been given her evidence, she found she was not so worried about it now.
In fact, she wanted nothing more than to look him in the eye.
What she saw before her was a sad man who had needed power - who had needed it for a long time and who when it had not been given to him simply took it.
He was late middle aged, beyond his prime and the dark head of hair which must have been his crowning glory at one point was beginning to go grey.
He was past his best and he was never going to get his youth or his future back.
"Guilty."
That was the one word which she heard clearly. The rest of what was said in that court room went completely over her head, but not that once.
And just like that, his fate was sealed and she knew Grayson was not going to be let off with this nor be going anywhere near any other vulnerable women such as young Sophie for a very long time. The young girl was crying into Steph's arms but it was over now - and just like Kayla, she had the justice she had been denied and had had to wait for.
Grayson looked at her from the witness stand in a manner which said this was all her fault and if she had been weaker then maybe she would cared but she didn't.
"I am so proud of you, my sweetness," Steve beamed as he held her hand and squeezed it. She had had to face so much... and once , more she had triumphed. They could move on with their lives.
The court case was done, and it was all over.
For the first time in a long time, Steve felt as if he was able to watch the woman who he loved more dearly than any of the breathe the free air. Kayla had not allowed any of this to stop her - she would not allow anything to do that but she was freer now.
And it was so lovely to see.
It felt as if she was going out in to the sunlit after a winter of storms when Kayla made her way outside.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and breathed deeply.
"Are you ok, my sweetness?" he asked as he went over to her side and brushed some of her hair away from her face.
The whole family had been there to hug her and tell her how well she had done, but he saw something else in her as he always had done.
For a long time, she felt as if she had had to lie when she had answered that.
Now she didn't.
"Yes - and he is not. and - and I am," she said to him with a sigh.
At one point she had felt as if she was never going to be able to say that ever again.
It was all different now.
"Shall we go home?"
She shook her head – she was tired and could do with a rest but she was sure she could keep going for a while.
"No – what I want to do is go and see my mother – and then I want to pick up our son from school and go bowling."
Stephanie and Sophie would come as well – but just the five of them. Steve gave a nod. What his sweetness wanted, his sweetness got.
X x x
"How is Kayla?"
Bo had sent the text almost as soon as he had woke up, the morning after Grayson was found guilty. He was a cop and he did have faith in the system which he worked for but after all, it was his sister who had had to make her case so he had a feeling he could be forgiven for worry.
Right than with the case over though, it was hard to feel too worried about anything.
He was in his own bed with Hope at his side and their baby girl down the hall asleep in her own bed…
The only trouble on his mind was his sister.
"Still asleep," Steve replied.
Just as Bo was watching his wife sleep, Steve was now doing the same.
He did not think he had seen her sleep so peacefully or so deep for a very long time. The case had taken it out of her. It was only now with it all over she was truly able to rest.
He brushed his finger down her check… she was so beautiful.
And relaxed and content.
And now the time had come for them all to be able to turn there thought away from what had happened and too much nicer things, he thought to himself.
Steven Earl Johnson knew exactly how he was going to make that happen.
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