Her Best Friend

“All rise for Judge Walters” the guard called, today was the day. It was Court day, and Olivia felt physically sick and was shaking nervously. She had tried to look the part, in a grey suit, and hair tied back, clipped up. She had gone for the serious look, but she knew herself, she looked so young.
Everyone stood up in chorus; Lula glanced up confused and copied what Olivia did. She was scared, Olivia had told her that she might have to go live with Grandma Theresa, and Lula definitely didn’t want to go.
“Case 29087, Custody of Tallulah Greene. Defendant- Olivia Jones” the guard listed, and the public, which included Olivia’s family, Julie, Ted and Eddie, including Jasmine. Ryan was here too, he had come and said hello just before the court began. He looked so handsome, thought Olivia, dressed smartly in a suit, with a white shirt and a grey skinny tie. In fact, he looked gorgeous, his hair in a stylish mess, and he looked….just Ryan. She had missed him, and surprised herself as she hugged him. Ryan held her tightly, whispering a good luck and kissing her head before having to let her go.
“Respondent Attorney, Mr Burt?” The judge called, he looked about fifty years old, with grey thinning hair, and wore fairly thick glasses. Darren smirked slightly, as he slowly stood up and sauntered into the centre of the court. Everyone watched expectantly.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, and our lovely Jury….today, is a custody of the child Tallulah Greene. Who is in fact, Theresa’s grandchild, her only grandchild after her beloved daughter Anna was killed tragically…” Darren began confidently. Everyone was at tender hooks with him. Olivia shifted in her seat, and looked at her own lawyer. Mr Caul, he was a nice man. About thirty five years of age, with plenty of experience and a good winning rate. He felt empathy for Olivia, as she had him her story when she first heard the news. Mr Caul had been keeping a close eye and promised Olivia he would do everything he could to keep Lula with him.
“Is it fair for a grandchild to be parted from her grandmother? Is it fair, to weaken that sacred bond? Mr Burt said, he was good…
The jury were writing notes, and Olivia sniffed nervously. Lula suddenly got off the seat, and sat on the floor.
“Lula…” Olivia whispered, and picked her up and placed her on her own lap, and Lula immediately cuddled close. Olivia kissed her head, as Theresa glared coldly.
“See, baiting the child in front of poor Ms Greene….is this fair!” Mr Burt snapped, and glared harshly in Olivia’s direction. The jury murmured together…
“No, I wasn’t-“
“Silence please.” Judge Walters ordered, and the authority immediately silenced everyone in the whole room. Someone coughed awkwardly.
“Mr Burt, please refrain from making personal comments. Just state your case.” He ordered strictly, and Mr Burt nodded, and continued explaining the situation. Olivia’s heart broke a million times again, each time Anna’s death was mentioned. It hurt, it still hurt.
Once Mr Burt spilled it all, it was now time for Olivia’s turn. Mr Caul stood up, and introduced himself, and the case. He kindly explained what was happening.
“Theresa Greene wishes to have custody of Tallulah, which I shall carefully remind you all…is the child that Anna, her own daughter, gave custody to Olivia, in her Will in a such event she died as did her partner, Jacob. Does this not tell you something? Why would Anna do this? Because Olivia is the right choice. Mothers make decisions for a reason, and choosing someone as guardian is a huge decision and by no means did Anna rush it. Olivia is the right choice of guardian. If we grant Theresa her wish, then we are betraying a mother’s decision. Anna’s carefully made decision!” Mr Caul said clearly, and everyone murmured excitedly.
Olivia’s heart was racing, as she squeezed Lula slightly. “It’s going to be okay baby…” she whispered, and kissed Lula’s head again.
“Is it fair to part these two lovely girls? Two girls who have a very strong, connected bond?” Mr Caul asked the audience. No one spoke.
“May I please begin the questioning, by calling Ms Theresa Green to the stand….” Mr Caul announced, and Theresa stood up, and stiffly went to the stand, and took the oath of promise. Olivia watched carefully, as Mr Caul listed off questions.
“Is it true that you and your daughter had a very strained relationship?” Mr Caul asked, and Theresa glared slightly.
“Yes, her father…left us. It gave me more pressure.” She excused.
“Is it true that Anna personally chose Olivia as Tallulah’s guardian in any event that she and Jacob would pass away?” Mr Caul demanded.
Theresa gulped. “Yes.”
“So why Ms Greene, are you trying to break that contract?”
“Because Olivia is an unsuitable guardian and Lula is my blood relative. She should be with me. End of discussion.” Theresa snapped, and Mr Caul gave a disapproving look.
“Could you please expand on as to why you believe Olivia Jones as to be ‘unfit’?” Mr Caul pressed. Theresa stared coldly at Olivia directly, and when she blinked, Olivia almost flinched. Hatred radiated off the aging woman, Olivia couldn’t understand as how someone could feel so much….unhappiness.
“She’s just a child, she isn’t old enough-“ Theresa began.
“Excuse me, to interrupt you there Ms Greene, but Olivia is at the consent age otherwise she would have not been allowed custody in the first place.” Mr Caul corrected.
“Well, she is only 19. She isn’t an experienced mother, or how to care for a child!” Theresa hissed.
“Would you call yourself an experience mother Ms Greene?” Mr Caul asked testing her.
“Of course! I raised Anna perfectly well!” Theresa argued.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I have well-reliable sources that you had mistreated Anna on a few occasions, once on neglect where you went on holiday without notifying your daughter when she was just 17, and I have been told she was pregnant at this time. She went and lived with Olivia and her family for a week while you were absent. Another incident was of domestic abuse, did you or did you not…slap your own daughter around the face when you discovered about her pregnancy, about the news of your grandchild, the one you are now fighting custody for. That is slightly…odd don’t you think Ms Green?” Mr Caul said dangerously, Olivia couldn’t believe it, he was wording it so well.
“You know what I think?” Mr Caul said to everyone. Theresa, sensibly kept quiet.
“I think that you just want to get back at Olivia, because she got what you didn’t first want but you’ve selfishly changed your mind.” Mr Caul said coldly, and Theresa looked at him harshly.
“Selfish? I am only doing what is best for the child!” Theresa argued.
“And moving her from a stable home is doing what is best?” Mr Caul replied sarcastically. Olivia looked between the two, and noticed Lula had covered her ears.
“No, you don’t understand!” Theresa snapped, and then Judge Walters knocked the hammer, silencing everyone, once again.
“That’s enough Mr Caul…Mr Burt, who would you like to call to the bench?” Judge Walters asked.
Mr Burt, stood up, unbuttoning his suit jacket, letting it loose. “I call Olivia Jones to the bench your honour…” Olivia shakily handed Lula to Julie, who sat close behind. She then slowly walked to the stand, and took the oath.
“So Miss Jones, can you please tell me…why you feel you should keep full-time custody of Tallulah Greene?” Mr Burt asked.
“Well, my best friend Anna asked me too, and I promised I would. I would do anything for her.” Olivia said quietly, her hands shaking.
“But you have to agree, you are young…” Mr Burt challenged.
“I may be young, but I can still look after Lula to a high care. It took me a while, but I know how to care for her!” Olivia insisted firmly.
“I’m sure you do…but I’ve been informed Miss Jones….that you had a suicidal moment?” Mr Burt said, with no caution. Everyone was silent.
Olivia’s breathing became raspy for panic, and she looked up, straight at the back and saw Ryan looking right at her, his gorgeous face staring with sympathy-filled eyes. He didn’t know what to do either.
“It was a mere moment of grief, I was struggling with Anna’s death, I had quite school and my mother and I had a fallout, I was under a lot of pressure.” Olivia tried to excuse, but she got the feeling, she was beginning to sound like Theresa: pathetic.
“Pressure? You struggle under pressure Olivia…looking for a child is very, very stressful, and can be extremely pressuring. Have you ever thought what might happen if one day, you feel sad or lonely again and you just want to end it all….what would happen to Lula if she god forbid, walked in the room and saw you on the floor-dead.” Mr Burt said sinisterly, shivers went down Olivia’s spine. She gulped slightly. She couldn’t even think what would happen if Lula was to discover such a scarring event. Nobody spoke, and Olivia blinked back tears, feeling extremely ashamed of herself.
“I’m never going to do it again.” Olivia said strongly, well she tried too, but her voice cracked, revealing her emotion.
“How can we be so sure?” Mr Burt challenged threatening her almost, and Olivia gasped for air, shuddering, as she weakly obtained her sobs. As she looked through makeup eyes, she saw Lula sucking her thumb, while sitting on Julia’s lap, her father had a comforting hand on his wife’s shoulder. Her brother, Eddie and Jasmine were also here, no trace of smiles, Jasmine even had tears and Eddie, Eddie looked furious…he had no idea about the self-harm. Olivia had told her mother and father when Julie and she had made up, and Eddie was not present at the time.
“You have to take my word, and I’m much better now anyways. I told you…it was a second of madness, and I wasn’t hospitalized, it doesn’t give any excuse but I promise you, I’d never leave Lula, ever!” Olivia said, almost aggressively. Judge Walter’s eyebrow raised, and he wrote something down. Olivia wiped her eyes.
“Please, believe me. I wouldn’t ever let anything harm Tallulah, she’s my entire world, I love her unconditionally, and beyond. Anna trusted me with the most precious gift ever, and I’d never betray that.” Olivia said passionately, and a few strangers who had sat in on the court, smiled at the young girl. Ryan looked at her, adoration in his eyes for her.
“That’s enough questions, your honour.” Mr Burt said curtly, and went back to his seat, and Theresa quickly whispered to him frantically. Olivia stepped down from the small podium and returned next to her own lawyer.
A few murmurs washed over the jury, and the Judge cleared his throat. “We’ll be taking a short intermission as the Jury makes its verdict.” He announced, and with that, slammed the tiny hammer down. Everyone rose, as he made his leave and Olivia quickly took Lula in her arms, kissing her head.
“It’s going to be fine sweetheart, me and you yeah?” Olivia whispered, and cradled the young, shaking girl. She didn’t want to be here, she wanted to go home and play Barbie’s with Aunty Liv.
People immediately went for the large, oak doors, and Theresa avoided everyone on Olivia’s side like the plague. Ryan darted through people, saying the occasional ‘excuse me’ and rushed to Olivia’s side.
“You okay Livvy?” he asked worriedly, his eyes etched with concern. She wanted to just hug him and cry and beg him to make all of it stop. She didn’t know, instead she looked at him softly.
“They’re going to take her away.” She whispered, her voice cracking again. Julie took Lula off her, and cooed sweet words, and told her own daughter that she and Teddy would go find a place to eat, Eddie, with a confused, angry and sad face, followed and Jasmine also did too, loyally. Leaving Ryan and Olivia, to stare at one another and wonder what went wrong.
“They’re not.” Ryan’s deep, masculine, voice said softly, and Olivia almost melted. Olivia couldn’t contain it anymore, she needed his touch, and began to cry, immediately, Ryan swooped his strong, athletic arms around her small frame and held her closely to his warm body. He shushed her gently, reassuring her with empty promises.
“It’s going to be okay, I promise.” Ryan murmured, but he too didn’t believe it. It was neck and neck at the moment; he didn’t know what would happen. He kissed her head like earlier, and wanted nothing but to take her away from all this court madness, him, her and Lula. That’s all her wanted, all he needed, yet he couldn’t have it.
The worst thing was that Ryan was weak here, he was defenceless, he could reassure her with comforting words all he wanted but he can never have the power to actually make the decision. That’s what infuriated him the most.
--
“Court is now in session.” The guard ordered, as everyone resettled, well except Olivia, who felt she was going to vomit all over the floor, and was physically shaking. Ryan had been upgraded, and was now allowed to be seated on the first row, seeing as someone, unknown had left the court.
“Now, during our break, the Head Juror Samuel Parkers, has given me the verdict…” Judge Walters announced. Olivia leaned forward, the chair creaking, she was literally shaking with fear of losing Lula.
“On behalf of the Jury…they have decided that Tallulah Marie Greene will be assigned custody to…” Judge Walters said, and paused for a moment, and that moment almost killed Olivia.