The family had been in Alaska for a few days, settling into a small lodge in Hoonah. But today they were trekking it to Juneau. They were all dressed in their best clothing, showered and clean shaven. Today was the day they had all been waiting for.
The boat ride to Juneau was a quiet one. Everybody was upset. They knew it wasn't going to go the way they wanted it to but the simple fact was that this was life and this was the way it had to be. They had to pay for their mistakes.
Ami sat wrapped up in Billy's arms the entire ride while Rainy sat snuggled up to her brother. She didn't want to see her Da and brother go. Just being away for a couple of days killed the family. How could they be separated for any time longer than that?
When they arrived in Juneau, they made their way into the courthouse, meeting up with their lawyers. After a bit of discussion and some impatient waiting, they were ushered into the courtroom. The family sat in the rows behind Billy and Bam while everything was decided. And after a few hours, the jury had decided the verdict.
"The jury finds defendants Billy Brown and Joshua Brown guilty of one count of second degree unsworn falsification," the speaker announced. "The sentence is as follows: 30 days in prison and 40 hours of community service. The defendants must pay back the dividends they have received and give up their rights to get a dividend in the future."
Ami's cry of anguish could be heard throughout the entire room. Billy stood up and rushed to his wife, hugging her to his chest. Bam's head dropped to the floor and he shook his head, eyes closed. He couldn't believe it. He and his sick father were going to be spending 30 days in jail. Plus they would have a bunch of work to do after. The family would be spending the rest of their lives paying off the dividends. But in a way, he was glad. By both his father and him pleading guilty, the charges had dropped off the rest of the family. And that's all that mattered to Bam. If they didn't have to spend time in jail, he was happy. Family first.
The judge threw his gavel down, signaling the end of the trial. He turned around to face his family and put on a fake smile. He didn't want them to know that he was upset. That would just make them upset. He gave them each hugs before going with the bailiffs. Billy followed suit and they were ushered to the back.
"Here goes nothing," he whispered to himself.
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Adelaide stood at the bar cleaning the last of the glasses. They had closed early tonight. It was too crazy for her to handle and she just wasn't in the mood to deal with the assholes tonight. In fact, she wasn't in the mood to do anything lately.
She stopped what she was doing and looked up at the one bar stool she hadn't put up onto the bar. It was empty. She was hoping that maybe she was dreaming and Joshua would be sitting there if she looked up. But no, he wasn't there. He was gone. To Alaska. In jail. For god only knows how long.
She was shocked when she saw something drop onto the bar surface. It was a drop of water. She looked at the glass she was holding, seeing if it was still wet. It wasn't. It took her a moment to realize that the water was coming from her eyes. She was crying.
"Stupid!" she yelled, throwing the glass across the room.
It hit the wall and shattered into tiny pieces. She sunk to the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest and burying her face into her lap. She sobbed. She missed him god dammit. Why did she have to fall for him? He was just another guy...another guy who had stolen her heart and crushed it in his hands.
"We could've been perfect," she cried to herself.
She sat there, letting all the pent up frustration and sadness out. She just wished things could be easier, that they could go back to when it all began, when there were no problems between the two of them. But fate had intervened and now she had to suffer once more.
