The Trial

"We have a problem and I need you to focus solely on it for a few minutes."

Charlotte looked up at her husband. She was sitting in her home office, paperwork spread out on the desk in a manner that might have looked like a cluttered mess but to her was completely in order. She knew where every document was and could easily find it, should it be needed.

Not waiting for her to acknowledge him Drew walked in and took a seat across from her, his gaze hard and… troubled. That truly made Charlotte pay attention. The two of them had always respected the other's work, understand how important their mutual jobs were. For Drew to so blatantly march in and sit down without her leave… it spoke of something being VERY wrong.

"What is it?" she asked.

Drew reached over and muted her phone. Another action that sent alarm bells ringing in her head.

She sat there with growing horror as he described just what had happened that day at her sister-in-law's house. Of how Angelica hadn't merely broken Tommy's favorite clown lamp (which sounded rather gaudy but it was for a baby) but WHY she had. An accident? Understandable. Disappointing but understandable. A childish fight? Distressing but something that could be rectified.

"She did it on purpose? Just… just to hurt him?"

Drew nodded. The serious and stern attitude he'd had when he'd walked into the room was gone and now he just seemed so… depressed. And Charlotte didn't begrudge him that because she was feeling the same way. "Betty and Didi heard her admit it. She was taunting the babies, telling them that she broke it because they liked it. She wanted everyone to think Chuckie did it because she wanted Tommy to hate him. And she only told them because they couldn't talk and they'd just have to live with the knowledge that she did it." He pressed his head into his hands. "She BRAGGED about it. Loved that they knew she had broken it and couldn't do a thing about it! She was MOCKING babies!"

Charlotte leaned back in her chair, for the first time in ages not even thinking about work for a moment. "That…"

"I know," Drew whispered.

"You paid for the lamp?"

"Of course I did!" he snapped only to catch him himself. "Sorry. Of course I did," he said in a softer voice. "And I told Didi I wanted to make it up to Tommy. I'm thinking maybe taking a day off and taking him somewhere fun? I don't use my vacation days often enough… and Tommy is my nephew. I should spend time with him."

"Of course." Charlotte swallowed. "Drew… what are we going to do about Angelica? We can't let her act like this."

"I know," he said softly. "Chas… he's taking Chuckie to a psychologist. I… I think we should do the same."

Charlotte nodded. "We don't have a choice."