A Fresh Start

Thursday passed without incident, thankfully. The tasks Cherise had assigned kept both interns busy and she was able to focus on her and Micah’s new case.

“Nothing too hard after that last one,” she said as they reviewed the file. “Just part of the usual tax rush.”

“That will be something you two will experience a lot of,” Micah said to the interns. “With tax day two weeks away, people are going to be blowing up the phone lines with needing help wrapping up.”

Then Friday came. Micah picked her up at 9:30, pale as a sheet. Cherise held his hand the whole way to the courthouse.

“It’ll be fine,” he muttered to himself as they climbed the stairs outside. “It’ll be fine. She doesn’t have any evidence. It’ll be fine.”

Cherise gripped his hand tightly and they followed the signs to the court rooms. Micah was already sweating.

“You can sit in the back,” Mr. Johnson said to Cherise. “But you won’t be able to sit with Mr. Morris.”

“I understand.”

They were called in and Micah followed Mr. Johnson, visibly shaking. Cherise sat behind him and looked over at his ex-girlfriend. She had long brown hair and was wearing a skimpy business suit. Her eyes were sad as she held the hand of a little boy. Cherise resisted the urge to shake her head. She brought the kid with her?

“All rise for the honorable Judge Matheson.”

They all stood and that’s when Micah’s ex saw her. She glared at Cherise who kept an even face.

The judge’s eyes lingered on the child. “I’m afraid he’ll have to leave,” he said to her and she gasped dramatically and turned to her son.

“I’m sorry, baby,” she said. “Looks like you’ll have to wait for Mommy outside.”

Cherise expected the child to cry but he just followed his mother’s orders and left with one of the guards.

“I don’t know what she’s playing at,” she heard Micah grumble.

“We’re here to resolve a case filed by Vivian Harkins against Micah Morris,” the judge said and a transcriber began typing. “Miss Harkins is suing Mr. Morris for lack of child support payments.” He looked over his glasses as Vivian’s lawyer. “Do you have anything to say?”

Her lawyer stood up, straightening his tie.

“Your Honor, my client has been through much strife these last five years,” he began in a melodramatic voice. “She’s been abandoned by her family and now the father of her child refuses to pay support.” Mr. Johnson put a hand on Micah’s shoulder when he attempted to stand. “The emotional pressure that my client has been under has resulted in psychiatric care and she can no longer pay her bills. We are asking $100,000 and court fees from Mr. Morris.”

Cherise’s jaw dropped. $100,000? What were they thinking?

The judge turned to Mr. Johnson. “What does the defense have to say?”

Mr. Johnson stood with papers in his hand.

“We have spoken with Miss Harkins on this issue many times before,” Mr. Johnson said. “With Your Honor’s permission, I’d like to show you my client’s call records from the last ten years.” The judge held out his hand and Mr. Johnson gave it to him. “As you can see, there has been no contact between the two of them in this amount of time,” he added a few moments later as the judge sifted through the many papers. “Miss Harkins’ claim that the child is Mr. Morris’ is untrue and we refuse to pay her desired amount.”

Suddenly, Vivian broke into loud tears.

“It’s a lie, Your Honor!” she cried and Cherise noticed her lawyer did nothing to stop her. “It’s his son! And now he won’t even acknowledge it!”

The judge slammed his gavel down.

“I have nothing more to add,” Mr. Johnson said quietly and returned to his seat.

Cherise held her breath as the judge sifted through the evidence as well as all the files presented to him.

“Miss Harkins,” he said, “it says here that you were engaged at one point to a man named Patrick Payne. Is this correct?”

At first she didn’t answer and Cherise saw that Vivian had hoped that the judge didn’t know about him.

“I don’t know what he has to do with this,” she said in a high voice, dabbing at her eyes. “He left me many years ago.”

The judge looked at her sternly. “When you were with Mr. Payne, did you live with him?” Vivian didn’t respond. “May I remind you that you are under oath?”

“Yes, I lived with him,” she snapped.

“And he left you six years ago?”

“How do you know about that?” she blurted and Mr. Johnson leaned back. She turned red in the face. “I mean, yes he left me six years ago. That’s when I got back together with Micah.”

“And yet you do not show up in any of his call records,” the judge said.

“He must have had a different phone!”

“All records were traced back. Mr. Morris has had the same number for ten years.” At this Vivian couldn’t say anything. “It is my understanding that, with everything considered, this man is not the father of your child. The court has ruled not in your favor.”

He slammed the gavel again, standing as he did so. There was complete silence in the room and Vivian’s lawyer turned to her. He muttered something.

“Let’s just get the brat and go,” she snapped, storming out.

“Micah?” Mr. Johnson said but he didn’t say anything. He was watching Vivian leave. “Micah, it’s time to leave.”

“She’s going to ruin that kid’s life,” he sighed, following them out.

“That’s a terrible thing to say,” Mr. Johnson reprimanded.

Micah just shrugged as they got back into his car. He drove Cherise home, silent the whole way.

“Come in with me,” she whispered and he shook his head.

“I can’t. I told Harold I’d meet him for lunch after court.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Thank you for coming today.”

She smiled and kissed him back. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She went inside, dimly aware that her front door was unlocked. Figuring she had forgotten to lock it in the stress of the morning, she took her jacket off and put it in her room. That’s when she noticed something was off. Lira was growling and she followed her gaze to her living room.

Bryce was sitting on her couch with a glass of wine in his hand, grinning at her.