Like Mother Like Daughter

Chapter 44

Tom

Well, here it is, graduation. I don't know whether to jump for joy or slump down glumly...is that even a word anymore? Whatever, I can't feel excited today, not like I wanted to feel.

"Tom! Come on breakfast. Your grad's in a couple hours!" mom called from downstairs.

"I'm coming!" I called back. I placed my cap on my head, noticing the ink still on my arm. There's no way she's coming back, why would she?

Courtney

Well this was it, let's see if things will get to be how they should.

"You nervous?" Ashlyn asked, handing me a cup of coffee.

"I wish I didn't have to go," I replied.

"I'll take that as a yes. Remember sweetie, even if we lose, blood is thicker than water. You'll get to move out and go to Princeton," she said.

"Right, let's get this over with,"

I probably put on deodorant at least four or five times in the last hour, I was nervous beyond anything.

"Now, this is one of those cases that make me really, really hate my job. In my opinion, a family should never have to break up, but so be it. Ms. Benghal, please make your final statement for the jury," Judge Pruitt said. Shagra stood up and approached the jury.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for the past month and a half you have been given a very difficult decision to make. After eighteen years, young Courtney Stern has tried to make the decision to move out before legal age and with a complete and total stranger. Yes they are connected by blood, but it is unethical, unorthodox to run away from your parents who gave up eighteen years of their lives to take care of you. Courtney Stern never took that into account, she was only thinking about herself, like what most kids her age tend to do," well thanks Shagra, how would you like it if I said all Indians were hypocritical jerks?

"I cannot imagine the pain that Mr. and Mrs. Stern are feeling that their daughter has abandoned them for some women whom she found online. If Courtney had never went snooping into a box, which she was never supposed to look in in the first place, than we wouldn't be here. This case is not only a waste of time but also a waste of the tax-payers' money. All because of one selfish girl who hated her life. And Amelia didn't do any better, it's clear she was never fit for mother hood, how could she disrespect the deal she made with the Sterns? There is always two sides to a story, but this story's ending is very clear, it's obvious how it should end, no matter what the other says. Thank you," and with that, she sat back down looking very satisfied with herself.

"Well wish me luck," Ms. Julian whispered as she stood up.

"I respect Ms. Benghal in her work, but what I don't respect about her is her quick judgment against others. What Ms. Benghal forgot to mention was that Courtney had been lied to all her life, she had forgotten to mention the fact that Courtney is yes a teenage girl, who was trying to solve a puzzle that questioned her whole life. The choice her parents made was in their own terms, but my client's request for visitation was completely ignored, mostly because of Mrs. Stern, if she's still choosing to call herself that anymore. What makes it worse was that my client was lied to and humiliated more than twice by Tess Stern. She was framed for being a bad mother because Tess Stern had paid a drug dealer to do her dirty work for her! And if that wasn't enough, she had made Amelia sign documents of the law that she wrote herself. We recovered that document to realize it hadn't been in any part of our surrogate law system, not now, not in 1996, not ever. It was illegal what she did, but you don't care, nobody cares. All people care about these days is who has the narcotics and what kind they are. Amelia Pond is well-respected French teacher, likable citizen to Durango Colorado, and a very good mother. Anyone who says otherwise has something against surrogate mothers. What kind of country are we if we're telling mothers that they don't have a right to raise their children, let alone see them. You must think carefully about the decision that you make, because it won't just impact the life of my client, but also dear Courtney Stern whom many of the citizens in Durango have grown to love," you know how I wanted to applaud at her opening statement? Well I would get up and cheer if this wasn't a courthouse.

The jury had been given half an hour to make a decision about Amelia. I sat outside of the courtroom on a hard bench; my knee was bouncing in a rapid fashion as a release of tension. I was scared, I loved my life and I didn’t want to lose it.

"Well, this is it, it all depends on twenty complete and random strangers who were called by the government because they forgot to pay their parking tickets," Amelia said as she sat down next to me. I snickered.

"Yeah, just know that whatever happens I'll still be your daughter, and you'll still be my mother," I said.

"I know, I still want an invite to your wedding with Tom," she joked.

"Oh geez we're not getting married," I said. Amelia burst out laughing.

"I'm kidding but you never know, stranger things have happened," she replied.

"Like Luke and Keri getting pregnant," I said.

"What do you think? Boy or girl?" she asked.

"I think girl," I replied.

"My money's on a boy," she said.

"I heard Kathleen got a scholarship to UBC," I said.

"She did, Dean received admissions as well. And after the baby's born, Keri and Luke are going to Colorado State," she replied.

"What about Summer and the boys?" I asked.

"I heard the boys are also going to Colorado State, and Summer's going to a finishing school in Alberta," she replied.

"Poor Summer, I'm gonna guess that was her parent's choice." I said.

"That's my bet," she replied.

"What about Tom?" I asked.

"He got accepted to Princeton as well," I sighed; I had no idea how I was going to make this up to him. I loved him, I'd never forget him but he doesn't love me anymore. I have to face that reality.

"Courtney you may not realize it but he loves you so much. You gave him something no girl could ever give him." Amelia said.

"What's that?" I asked.

"You gave him love, no other girl, not his mother, his sister, his cousins, you gave him what he really wanted, he wouldn't trade you for anything," she replied.

"You sure about that? Madison could give him all the attention he needs. I wonder what’s gonna happen to her?" I said.

" Madison's scholarship to Penn State had been terminated because of there was proof on her final essay that she plagiarized. She's going to a community college for the next three years until she can send in her next application," she replied.

"Oh good, the queen bitch had what was coming to her," I said.

"Oh Courtney, you're going to make your life so amazing, whether I'm with you or not. But don't ever forget, family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what," she said. Before I could answer, Ashlyn came running towards us.

"Court, Ms. Pond, the jury's back,"