Life after Marriage

Court Day.

Caleb's POV.

I continue to sit there, on the bench, with my eyes closed.  I could feel the slight breeze of wind tickling my hair.  I could smell the scent of sewer that always seems to flow through the air of San Francisco. 

"Caleb?"  Her lovely voice calls out to me.

I open my eyes and they land on her, her beautiful figure sticking out from all of the other ones around us.  She continues to look around, obviously not looking behind her to see me sitting on the wooden bench.

"It's a nice day, isn't it?"  I ask her, gaining her attention as she swirls around, looking straight at me.  

"What are you doing out here?"  She asks me, walking towards me.

"It's a little windy but it feels good since the sun is freaking hot."  I continue on talking about the weather, ignoring her.

"Caleb, are you okay?  What's going on?"  She asks me as she sits down next to me on the bench.

"There's a lot of people out today for a Monday."  I point out, looking around.

Instead of hearing Hanna talk, all I hear is silence from her.  That is until she smacks me on the back of my head.  I snap my neck to look at her, seeing her looking at me.

"Ow, what the hell was that for?"  I ask her, rubbing the back of my head.

"It's for ignoring me.  Now, what's wrong?  Are you nervous?"  She asks me, looking at me with concern.

"Of course I'm nervous, Han!  By the end of today, my future will be made up!"  I snap at her, not meaning to.  It was all just out of nerves and I know that Hanna understands that.

"What do you mean?  Your future is already made Caleb.  You won't go to jail.  I know you won't."  She tries to comfort me but her words don't seem to match her eyes.

"How do you know that?  How do you know that they'll choose the guy that was accused of rape instead of the young teenager?  Hm, how do you know?  That's right, you don't know!  You don't know anything that is about to happen in there.  We're going in there blinded Han!  And I fucking hate it!  I'm being accused of raping someone when they gave their fucking body to me willingly!  I never raped anyone and I never will!  But sometimes, life is just fucked up. It's so messed up sometimes!  I could go in there with evidence but the jury will still believe I'm guilty!  Han, I can't go to jail!  I have three, almost four, beautiful kids and if I go to jail, it'll be for at least 10 years!  The last thing I want is for my kids to feel abandon by their own father like I did was I was younger!"  I shout at her, making me move my hands around frantically in frustration.  

"You know what?  I don't know what they hell is going to happen in there. But, I do know that at the end of the day, facts always stomps opinion.  I get it.  You're being accused of something you never done and what never do in a million years.  But it's happening.  Someone is accusing you of raping them.  And the only thing that you can do right now is prove them wrong.  Give them your side of the story.  Give them what they came here for.  Give them facts and evidence.  Because that is the only way you're getting yourself out of this mess.  Understood?"  She tells me calmly.  

I nod my head and relax a little bit.

"You know what else?  You don't know how all of this will end.  You keep thinking of all of the possibilities.  Trust me, I know that most of them are not good scenarios either.  But, you don't think of the good possibilities. There might only be a couple but still.  They're still there.  Either way, you're never going to know until that time has come and it hasn't come yet.  So, just try to relax and remember that you never raped her.  You have facts, not lies."  She tells me, making me relax a little more.