Chapter 10
Life settled into a beautiful rhythm.
Sarah moved in a few months after our ceremony.
She made our house a home. She hung pictures on the walls. She put flowers on the table. She filled every room with warmth and laughter.
Sophie called her “Mommy” now. It felt natural. Right.
We got a dog. A golden retriever puppy. Sophie named him Sunny.
He was the opposite of the dog whose bowl Sophie had eaten from. Sunny was loved. Spoiled. Part of the family.
Sophie’s bed was next to Sunny’s bed. They were best friends.
I went back to the office three days a week. But I always came home for dinner. Always.
Work was important. But my family was more important.
Sarah went back to teaching part-time. She loved it. And she loved being home with Sophie the rest of the time.
We were happy. Truly happy.
But then something happened.
I got a letter in the mail.
It was from Vanessa.
She was writing from prison. She wanted to see Sophie. She said she’d changed. She said she was sorry. She wanted forgiveness.
I read the letter. Felt my blood run cold.
I didn’t tell Sophie. I didn’t want to upset her.
I showed it to Sarah. She read it. Her face was serious.
“What are you going to do?”
“Throw it away,” I said. “She has no right to contact us. Especially Sophie.”
Sarah nodded.
“I agree. But Richard… she might try again. She might write to Sophie directly. Or try to contact her through someone else.”
I frowned. She was right.
I called my lawyer. He said we could file for a no-contact order. Extend the restraining order permanently.
I did.
The court granted it. Vanessa was not allowed to contact us in any way. Ever.
I thought that was the end of it.
But I was wrong.
A month later, I got another letter. This one was from Vanessa’s lawyer.
She was filing an appeal. She said she’d had ineffective counsel. That new evidence had come to light.
My heart sank.
I didn’t want to go through this again. I didn’t want Sophie to have to relive that nightmare.
My lawyer said appeals were common. That most were denied.
“But we have to be prepared,” he said. “Just in case.”
I told Sarah. She held me.
“We’ll get through this,” she said. “Together.”
I didn’t tell Sophie. She was doing so well. She was happy. She was healing. I didn’t want to ruin that.
But she could tell something was wrong.
“Daddy? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, baby. Just work stuff.”
She didn’t believe me. She was too smart.
She went to Sarah. Asked her what was wrong.
Sarah came to me that night.
“We should tell her,” she said. “She has a right to know. And if she finds out from someone else, it will be worse.”
I knew she was right.
The next night, after dinner, we sat Sophie down.
“Baby, we need to talk to you about something,” I said.
She looked nervous. “What is it?”
“Vanessa is trying to get a new trial,” I said gently. “She says she didn’t get a fair trial the first time.”
Sophie’s face went pale.
“Is she going to get out of jail?”
“Probably not,” I said. “Most appeals don’t work. But we wanted you to know. Just in case.”
She was quiet for a long time. Then she looked at me.
“Will I have to talk in court again?”
I reached for her hand.
“I hope not. But if you do, I’ll be right there. Sarah will be right there. We won’t let anything happen to you.”
She nodded. But she looked scared.
That night, she had a nightmare. The worst one in months.
She screamed. She cried. She tried to run.
I held her. Sarah held her. We calmed her down.
I was angry. Angry at Vanessa for doing this to us again. For hurting my daughter all over again.
But I tried to stay calm. For Sophie.
The appeal process dragged on for months.
My lawyer filed papers. Vanessa’s lawyer filed papers. Back and forth.
I tried to keep life normal for Sophie. We went to school. We had family dinners. We took Sunny to the park.
But the stress was there. Hanging over us.
Then, one day, my lawyer called.
“The appeal has been denied,” he said.
I breathed a sigh of relief. So deep it made my chest hurt.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. The judge reviewed everything. Said the original trial was fair. The evidence was overwhelming. Vanessa stays in prison.”
I hung up the phone. Turned to Sarah. She was standing there, waiting.
“Denied,” I said.
She threw her arms around me. We held each other. Crying happy tears.
Then we went to find Sophie. She was in the backyard, playing with Sunny.
“Sophie, baby,” I called.
She ran over. “What is it, Daddy?”
I knelt in front of her. Took her hands.
“The appeal was denied. Vanessa is staying in prison. She can’t hurt us anymore. Ever.”
Her face lit up. A smile spread across her face.
“Really?”
“Really.”
She threw her arms around me. Then around Sarah.
We stood there. The three of us. Hugging. Crying. Celebrating.
May you like
It was finally over.
Truly over.
