The Doll Maker

Chapter 19 Nadia

I quickly stood, without looking at Bellamy, walked out of the courtroom, and knew Leo and Brittany were following me.  I sat on one of the benches in the hall wrapping my arms around myself and rocked as Leo sat down next to me and rubbed my back.

Brittany walked over and kneeled in front of me placing a hand on my knee and said, "Everything will be alright.  He thinks his game is working but all the evidence we have points to him.  The girls pointed fingers at him.  You are not going down with him."

I let out a breath and keep my head down as I saw Bellamy and Matthew exit the courtroom and said, "I know I just don't know how my testimony will turn out since he's going to come at me with questions about a diagnosis I was never told I had."

Leo turned my head to look at him and said, "You have this just be honest about everything.  He already looks like an asshole after the abuse he caused and every bit of evidence we had from the beginning shows you were trying to save the girls as much as you could."

I place my head on his shoulder and glance up as I see my mom and Anika running toward us.  I uncurl myself as Anika crawls into my lap and hugs me as my mom asked, "How's everything going?  Did he accuse her as you thought?"

I wrap my arms tighter around Anika and said, "Yes he's trying to pin everything on me including the kidnappings and the abuse of all the girls."

Anika looks up at me and grabbed my face making me look into her eyes and said, "I know you didn't do that mommy.  You never left unless he took you with him and every time you came back crying."

I smile at her pressing a kiss to her cheek and said, "I don't think you two should stay for my testimony mom.  It's something I would like to keep away from her.  She hasn't had to hear about this and I want her to be left out of this."

My mother nods and looks worried as she says, "We will leave once you go back in because she's been wanting to see you since you left this morning.  How long do you have?"

I look at Anika and back to my mother as Leo looks at his watch and says, "We have twenty minutes till we go back in."

Anika shook her head and crossed her arms crinkling a piece of paper she was holding and said, "I'm not leaving you need me here mommy."

I kiss the top of her head and said, "I know babe but what I need right now is not to worry about you while I'm on the stand okay?  I want you to hear but what we will be talking about is not for you to hear yet."

She looks down at the piece of paper in her arms and handed it to me.  I looked at it and she said, "I drew you a picture of us.  This is you, me, daddy, and my baby sister."

I look over at Leo with wide eyes and I realized I was two days late and I couldn't deal with having another child right now.  However, I watch Leo point at each person in the picture and I hear him ask, "What's your sister's name?"

Anika looks up at him and says, "Lucia.  You and mommy are also married."

Leo looks at me and smiles as he kisses my cheek and says, "Maybe someday we can make that possible.  Right now isn't the right time though."

Anika smiles at him knowing that she will someday marry her father and she might have a little brother or sister sooner than she thinks.  My mother walks up to her and said, "Anika it's time for us to head home."

Leo stands and picks up Anika from my lap and says, "I'll meet you guys back in there.  Remember you are not the one on trial and we have more evidence against him than he has against you."

Brittany and I stand as he walks to the exit with my mother and walks back into the courtroom.  I sit in my seat as we wait for everyone to enter.  I grab my notebook and start drawing in it.  Soon after Bellamy and Matthew enter followed by Leo.  I push my chair back to the seating behind us where he's sitting and lean in to kiss him.  I whisper into his ear, "We need to talk when we get home."

Leo kisses me one last time and says, "Ok once we get out of here and please tell me it's good news.  After everything, he said we need some."

I smile hoping he thinks this is good news when I tell him and said, "Depending on how you take it when I tell you.  I love and I need to turn around so people don't think I'm trying to get out of something."

Leo smiles at me as he crosses his legs and said, "You worry way too much but in case I understand.  You're ready for this and don't worry if Lowell even tries to do anything Brittany will do everything in her power to help you."

I nod and turn back around as the judge and jury come back in.  The judge looks at me and I nod as I let out a breath.  He says, "Nadia Adamski you may take the stand."

I stand up from my seat and look around the courtroom in front of me.  I climb the stairs to where I will be seated and once I get to my seat someone is waiting there with a Bible I place my hand on it with one hand in the air as he asked, "Do you swear to tell the whole truth?"

I nod my head and say, "I do."  I quickly remove my hand and sit down as my eyes land on a mysterious hidden person in the back of the courtroom with the hood of their hoodie up covering their face.  They quickly got up and left the courtroom.