2 weeks later – 24 weeks pregnant
It has been 2 weeks since my mother went to jail for trying snuff out her only daughter's life. Crazy mother of the year award goes to…
The kids are all doing great. Kirsten is learning to play piano and she is a natural. She really excels at it. If there's a gene for that, she got it from Christian.
Christian has been coming around to visit Ella a lot more lately and being strangely kind. It is slightly concerning. I just avoid his weirdness when he comes around. It's like there's a nice alien stuck in his body. We never did go to lunch alone and his behavior makes me question if I should trust him enough to.
My relationship with Luke is stronger than ever. He goes fishing with my Dad on his days off for a couple of hours. Sometimes Christian goes as well. On those days, Ella come up to the house and me, her and Kate have a girl's day in and watch chick flicks and bake cakes and make pies and stuff like that whilst spending time with all my girls. Kirsten, Piper, and Nevaeh love to hang out with us. The boys stay with the nannies. Sometimes Gail joins us as well.
Needless to say, my Daddy is an extremely happy man and I love it. We've recently started renovating my childhood home so we can use is as a getaway outside of town without going too far away.
Today is Jim's trial. I'm extremely nervous. I spent yesterday with Grace and Carrick. Carrick gave me a rundown of how it would go and how the defense will try to rile me up and disprove my testimony.
The whole family is coming to trial with me, aside from Ella. She understandably doesn't want to face her ex-husband. I wouldn't want to face him either. The prosecutor wants her to testify to how he treated her before she left him to show his character but she is afraid to. It is ultimately up to her. As of now, she says she won't do it but she can still change her mind. Personally, I'm hoping she does.
"Are you ready baby?" my husband asks me as I finish putting myself in my business suit.
I turn and look at him with my brow furrowed. "definitely not. But I don't have a choice do I?"
"I'm sorry baby." He says apologetically.
"No. Don't be. I'm Sorry for being so curt with you. It isn't anything personal. This is just a lot and now I have to face him." I put my hand on my forehead. "it will not be a good day but I have to find the inner strength to stay strong and sturdy and not let the pretentious asshole attorneys for that fuckwad get to me."
He walks up to me and puts his hands gently on either side of my face. "YOU are a strong woman. Beautiful, kind, and fierce. YOU can do this and me and the rest of the family and the Greys will be there for you every step of the way."
I smile at him. "You always know what to say Luke Sawyer."
He gives me a soft kiss. "we better go." He kisses my forehead and offers his hand and I take it. We go downstairs and I kiss all my kids goodbye and we head out the door. Daddy said he will drive over himself. We get to the courthouse 20 minutes early.
"Luke, you acted as if we were going to be late. I don't want to go in yet."
"You don't have to yet." I see the Greys walking up 5 minutes later.
"Okay. The Greys are there. I'm ready now."
He gets out and offers his hand. Our security follows closely behind. We walk in and I hug everyone that is here already. Grace asks me to see her in the bathroom.
I walk into the bathroom. She takes out a needle. "this is a mild sedative. It won't knock you out but will help you to remain calm. Knowing how you freaked out about Jack, I want to make sure you don't to ballistic in a courtroom. That wouldn't look too good."
I take off my jacket and raise my sleeve and she gives me a shot. "Thank you Grace. I probably needed that. I've been snapping at my husband all morning already."
"It's understandable given the circumstances. I'm sure he understands."
"He does. He's the most understanding man I've ever met."
"I'm glad you found him. Feel better?"
"I do actually."
"Good." She caps the needle and puts it back into her purse and I put my sleeve down and put my jacket back on.
We go back into the hallway and I wrap my arms around my husband and smile at him. "I love you."
"I love you too Ana. You've got this."
I nod. "Anastasia Sawyer." The bailiff calls me and my stomach does somersaults. I kiss my husband softly and follow the bailiff in and my family all piles into the courtroom and takes their seats and I am led to the stand where I am sworn in. I don't even look in the direction of the defense. I don't want to have to see him before I have to.
The prosecutor asks me about the events that led up to the kidnapping and details about the kidnapping itself as well as details of all the vile things this despicable man did to me.
At the end of me telling my story, there's not a dry eye in the house. Then I'm asked if the man that did that to me is in the room and I am forced to look at him and he has a cocky smirk on his face and I point him out. Then he blows me a kiss and I shake my head and look back at the prosecutor. I have to fight to keep the bile rising in my throat at bay.
"No further questions your honor." The prosecutor announces.
"We will have a 30 minute recess and then we will continue with the defense's line of questioning." Says the judge.
I stand up on wobbly knees and the bailiff offers me a hand to help me down and I manage to walk down the aisle to my husband who puts an arm around my waist. My body is so weak. Reliving that 2 weeks has completely drained me. We get out of the courtroom and sit on a bench and he just wraps his arms around me and holds me and comforts me.
When I finally look up, I see that the whole family has gathered around me to keep everyone from seeing me in my vulnerable state.
Jason brings me some food and I eat so I have some kind of energy.
30 minutes pass and I'm called back into the courtroom.
My husband helps me up and I walk back to the witness stand, knowing of the possibility that this could be worse for me than what when prosecutors questioned me.
The defense, as expected, accused me of wanting to be in a relationship with this disgusting person and claimed that because he rejected me, I took his wife and he came to get her back and I am making up all of these accusations against him.
It took every ounce of willpower I had to keep from jumping over the stand and attacking that attorney.
"Isn't it true that you and your father shot and killed the other man who you're accusing of these acts?"
"He escaped police custody and he broke into my home and was holding my husband at gunpoint. I was defending my family, as is my right."
"But isn't it true that you wanted him dead?"
The prosecutor objects and the judge sustains it.
The defense attorney continues to throw accusations at me and he is definitely attempting to get a violent reaction from me but I hold steady. Probably because if the medicine Grace gave me earlier.
"No further questions your honor."
I look down and take a breath.
"You're dismissed Mrs. Sawyer." The judge says with sympathetic eyes. I nod and get up and the bailiff takes my hand and let's me down and I can feel those evil eyes on me the whole time.
I make it back to where my husband is and he throws his arm around me like before and walks me out of the courtroom and the rest of the family and Greys follow us out.
Once outside the courtroom, I run to the bathroom to vomit. I feel someone holding my hair back. When I finally look up, it is Kate. She gives me a sad smile. "Kate thank you."
"Ana, I had no idea the horrendous things you lived through out there. I'm so sorry that happened to you." No one in our circle, aside from my husband knew details of what I went through for those 2 weeks before today.
"What have I said about apologizing? It's over. It was an absolute nightmare but I survived."
She gives me a hug and I reciprocate and start crying inconsolably. "I really need to clean up and go home with my husband and take a nap. Reliving all of that again really zapped all the energy out of me."
She let's me go and helps me up and I clean out my mouth and wipe my face and she wraps an arm around me and walks me back to my husband. He wraps his arm around me and kisses my head and I tell all the Greys and my Daddy I'll see them later and my husband walks me out of the courthouse, out into our awaiting SUV.
I lean my head on his shoulder on the way home. I must've fallen asleep because when I wake up from yet another nightmare, I'm in my bed and my husband is holding me tight against his chest. "I would ask if you're okay but I think the answer is obvious. What can I do to help you baby?"
"Just hold me. I need to see Flynn tomorrow and I'll probably need him daily again for a little bit. I hate that I had to drag all of that up to the surface again. It felt like it just happened all over again."
"I'm sorry baby." He kisses my head.
"Don't be. You didn't fuck me up. I love you Luke. I'm going to try to get more sleep. Please don't leave me. I don't want to wake up alone again now."
"I'll be right here or in the bathroom baby."
I smile and look up at him and give him a sweet kiss. "Thank you baby."
"Anything for you Ana. I love you."
"I love you too."
I drift back off to sleep in my husband's arms and as promised, he doesn't leave my side all night.
I know this because I woke up more than once from nightmares again. I wonder how long these are going to last this time.
I wake up in the morning with Luke wrapped around me and I roll over and gently wake him up and convince him to love me.
We shower and get dressed and we go downstairs to eat breakfast. Daddy comes in and joins us alone. "Daddy Where's Ella?"
"She is getting ready to go and testify against that piece of shit she was married to. She finally relented after she learned how brave you were yesterday." I smile and stand up and walk around the table and give my Dad a hug.
I sit back down and finish eating breakfast. When Ella comes in dressed for court, I approach her and envelop her in a hug. "Thank you Ella."
"You're very welcome dear. It is the least I can do. If you can face him after the abhorrent things he did to you then I figure I can as well because what he did to me isn't nearly as bad as what he did to you."
I pull back and give her a kiss on the cheek. "I would come to be there for you but I can't be in the same room with him again. I will be here for you when you get back though. Let me know if you need anything."
"of course dear."
After they finish their breakfast, we see them off and my husband and I spend the day at home with the kids. We took the rest of the week off to just be together and It is just what I needed.