a place we know| ✓

twenty eight

"And find a place where every single thing you see tells you to stay."
S E E K E R
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January 4th
12:03 PM
New York
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Gunner was seated next to Audrey, his fingers gripping the edge of the uncomfortable and cold wooden bench, his heart repeating its cycle of unrhythmic beating–slow, fast, erratic–in time with the judge's gavel. All his instincts heighten at once, the soft panic spreading from his stomach outwards to every part of his body.

"Mr. Shaw, you weren't present at our previous hearing. Care to explain why?" The judge was nothing short of a king on his throne. "Go on, I'm listening."

It was like his brain no longer knew how to command him to form words. "I was...working that day and, uh, my boss wouldn't let me off. I tried to explain everything to him but he would have fired me."

The judge remained motionless like his face lacked the ability to display emotion. "Ms. Rahal told me she didn't know of your whereabouts."

He felt Audrey stiffen next to him.

"I forgot to tell her I had a shift," Gunner explained, trying to retain his calm calibre by keeping his trepidation at bay. "I'm sorry."

"Very well, Mr. Shaw. But from this moment on, take this court seriously, understood?"

The morning had them rushing out of the hospital as soon as his girlfriend was discharged, but they barely made it to the courthouse on time. First came the adjudication hearing, now the disposition hearing. The minute they shuffled in, heads turned their way. The glances they received were insolent, and the two immediately knew they weren't welcome; in fact, they knew that they didn't belong amongst men and women in finely tailored attire.

They couldn't afford to pay lawyers or anything of the sort so they were tasked with defending themselves. Gunner and Audrey were the lesser of the bunch, and it just so happened that the system manipulated families like theirs. Easy to control because there wasn't much they could bargain for.

Here the two were, hanging on by a thread, only looking to survive. And Gunner hated it. One look at their opponents; he knew they were already losing the fight.

He was uneasy while the counsel filtered through countless sheets of paper, whispering among themselves. The court clerk, bailiff, and court reporter stood in their rightful places. Just as the judge cleared his throat, the doors opened and another couple strolled in, sharply dressed, taking their seats on the audience bench.

Gunner's eyes rested on one point, his girlfriend, asking the question he suspected he had the answer to. She searched for his icy hand and found it, her words hushed in his ears, "I think those are the people that want to adopt Leah."

His hostility towards them was instant. Clenching her hand tightly, his head craned back and he caught the eye of the blonde woman, his lips frowning. She had a striking resemblance to his own mother, which angered him further as he thought of all the ways she had casted him aside when she found out about her granddaughter, his Leah. And watching those grey eyes gleam and her mouth subtly curve, the temperature in the room increased, boiling his blood.

"Forget about them. Let's focus on this," Audrey patted his arm gently and pulled his gaze to her wearied, hazel eyes.

"I don't like the look on their faces," he said through gritted teeth, jaw clenched. But he remembered that he had to keep a level head if they were going to prove their case. Now more than ever, he was determined to get his daughter back.