"Backing Off"
Part IVJust reported top story "Top lawyer Evangeline Williams loses first Case in a startling turn of events and courtroom theatrics, Kevin Buchanan was awarded custody of his child, after a shocking breakdown on the stand of the current Mrs. Kelly Buchanan. News at 5, Evangeline turned off the TV. Evangeline heard the gavel of the judge as she rendered her ruling over and over again in her head until she felt like it would explode. The hardest part was seeing Kelly Buchanan break down on the stand and have to be led away for treatment. Yet she would never forget the look of cold hatred Kevin showed watching his wife self-destruct and showing absolutely no sympathy for her whatsoever. Evangeline told her secretary to hold all calls and she sat on her couch staring and thinking, and so she was startled when the door opened and in walked John.
"Hey" he said gently walking straight over to sit with her on her couch.
"Hey yourself, she said, in a voice barely above a whisper. She couldn’t even bring herself to smile despite how gorgeous he looked today.
"I had to come, I tried to be very discreet", as he placed his hand over hers. Van he said, "Are you okay."
"Who me, the woman who never makes any mistakes, how stupid was I to even say that without thinking the heavens would open up and mock me."
"Evangeline, he said, everyone loses, it is what makes us better at our game. I know you can’t see that now but you will." He reaches and pulls her closer so her head is resting on his shoulder and places his hand along her arm for comfort.
"I wasn’t supposed to lose this case, tears begin to well up in her eyes and she pulls back and says, "I told Kelly she wouldn’t lose her son, that I would do whatever it took to win her custody, and what happens, she breaks down. I should have fought harder for her, both legally and in regards to her health. "No, she said between tears and sobs I had to listen to Dorian tell me Kelly could handle it and I knew deep down she couldn’t."
"Evangeline, you are being way to hard on yourself, from what I heard Kelly kept you in the dark about a lot of things, he stopped he noticed she stiffened in his arms, "Evangeline you didn’t know about the baby being adopted?" he waits for her answer.
"John you know I can’t discuss anything about the case if it pertains to client/attorney privilege."
"I know but this is me you’re talking to, did you know?"
Evangeline pulls out of his arms and gets up and walks to her desk and stands, seemingly thinking long and hard about her response, she turns around and then says, "John not for you or anyone will I betray a client, not for a moment of truth or a second of comfort. If you came to be here for me then come over here and take me in your arms and rock me cause right now I don’t know how I am going to make it through this moment without you."
John stands, and looks at her across the room, so many emotions flitting across his face, disappointment because she couldn’t tell him everything, sadness because today was so hard on her and her client, and finally rested on acceptance. His eyes said it before he walked over and took her in his arms, that she needed him as her man, not a cop and if he had any hopes of them having a future he better be the man she needed at this moment. Enfolding her in his arms and feeling her place or arms around his waist he felt and heard her sigh, then the deep wrenching sobs broke through and she cried like he never ever wanted to hear his woman cry again, saying over and over again "I failed Daddy, I failed you."
In what seemed like forever, she pulled back, and said, " I was always taught to be a winner, how am I supposed to get pass this."
"Look, you need to step back and look at this objectively, yeah you lost and you may lose again, but did you do your best? If the answer is yes then you can still look yourself in the mirror and not be ashamed. Evangeline you are the best attorney there is, and yeah I’m prejudiced, but you are that good, this case shouldn’t take that away from you."
"I hear you but I need time to process everything, and I have to go over to the hospital to check on Kelly."
"I wish I could go with you, but I’m still on the Santi/RJ investigation, and I’m not supposed to be seeing you. Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, afterward I’ll go straight home and try to keep the press at bay." She went to get her briefcase and asked him "Can you, I mean is it possible that you can slip and come see me tonight?"
"I can’t promise but I’ll try. You go down first I’ll follow later when I think the coast is clear. He walks toward her and lifts up her face and gently brushes her lips with his and says, "Hang in there, it is going to okay"
Evangeline just shakes her head and goes toward the door and stops, she seems to take a moment, then she straightens out her back and lifts up her head and turns around and says before leaving, "I won’t let them see me sweat, and John, thanks for being there for, I won’t forget it ever."
