The next day when I woke up there was some mail on the nightstand with my name on it. Ah the stuff concerning my aunt. Basically it just said I was needed to testify against my aunt. It wasn't a custody battle or anything so that was good. I also had a text from Ms. Jean saying she'd be there around four to meet with my lawyer because the court date was for Wednesday.

                          "Ok so let's go over what her lawyer might try with you." My lawyer said later that afternoon as I was sitting in his office. Then he let me know some of the stuff he might ask me all pretty standard stuff. I felt ready for this court date. Seeing bad people get what they deserved was becoming a regular thing in my life. It was making me kind of crazy actually. But thus was life.

                     On Wednesday Devin and his grandparents sat in the back of the courtroom. Kenzie was at a play date. I sat up from with Ms. Jean and my lawyer. My aunt glared at me from her side of the courtroom. I glared back equally as menacing.  Her lawyer called me up to the stand first once I was sworn in he started in.

                        "Jess hi, so can you tell me a little bit about your home before you went to your aunts?" "My mom and step dad abused me." I said. "Right, and did your aunt ever hit you?" "No but when somebody tells you that you are worthless it hurts just as bad as a physical beating." I said. Her lawyer stammered "Uh objection." "Overruled." The judge said. "Fine, why did you want to leave your aunts place?" "Well for one I was basically her slave and two she talked down on me...yea kind of like a slave." "But don't all kids have chores? Maybe you were just being a bit dramatic." "I don't think so."

                       "Did your aunt feed you?" He asked. "Sure but while my aunt was eating steak I was having a turkey sandwich." "Ok but at least she didn't neglect you." "You don't have kids do you sir, because sometimes ignoring your kids isn't the only bad thing a parent can do. It's not very fun to be made to feel like trash." I said. "Ok then, that's all." He said leaving the stand. I couldn't tell for sure but I'm pretty sure I poked some holes in his questions.

                        My lawyer asked me some questions. "What kind of things did you do to help your aunt out?" He asked. "Stupid things, sometimes I did the same chore over and over again. Not because it needed to be clean but it was busy work." "Did your aunt ever say thank you?" "Never." "Did she help you?" "Not once." "Did she call you names? Or say hurtful things?" "All the time. Ungrateful brat. Worthless. Good for nothing. Your dad probably killed himself on purpose to get away from you. Nobody wanted you." "I'm so sorry to hear that." "It's ok some people are just bitter." "Objection." Called my aunts lawyer. "So moved, get on with it." "Oh that was all I had.

                          Then my aunt came up. "Hi Cindy." She put her green cat eye glasses on an smiled. Her lawyer smiled back. "Did you make your niece clean?" "Sure she was living at my house for free so there was an occasional chore." "What about the name calling?" He asked. "Well it was more me being motivational sure I could've found a nicer way to do it and in the time I've had I learned a lesson. That words hurt." She dabbed her eye. I snickered yep her and my mom definitely fell from the same tree.

                         "Do you miss your niece?" He asked. "Yes but I just want her to be happy." Boy that was a rehearsed line if I ever heard one. "That's all." Her lawyer gave her a thumbs up and sat down. My lawyer came up. "Cindy, did your parents ever talk to you the way you spoke to your niece?" He asked. "What's that got to do with anything?" "I'm just wondering where you learned it was ok to speak to people that way." "Listen you little Santa Clause wannabe."

                           "Order, order. That is enough carry on."  "Sorry, you know I don't usually talk like that." "Cindy, mam were all friends here. We can all see that you talk to people like that and it's ok. That's who you are." "Well I..." She looked off her rocker. Good job Santa. "Did you make Jess clean?" He asked. "Well yes as I said but it was just a few things here and there." "Did you help her?" "Well she was doing such a good job I didn't want to disturb her but yes I helped." "Well this is the fingerprints taken from the broom, duster, mop, and some random cleaning supplies." "Oh isn't that nice?" She said rolling her eyes.

                               "Yes, but the thing of it is. Your fingerprints were nowhere to be found. How do you like that?" "Well probably because she gripped the broom much tighter then my frail arms ever could. You know I'm getting up in age." "Is that so? Well I took the liberty of calling the Laredo Pines Casino and they tell me you have a pretty active life. Let me just read this. 'Cindy Myers, oh yes we know her very well. She's in here every night. She won a hundred bucks one time and was doing this dance...I had never seen anything like it before. I thought she was going to throw her back out but that didn't stop her.' Need me to keep reading?" He asked. "No." She grumbled.

                             "Alright then, I think we've heard enough. I'm going to let the jury deliberate and we'll be back shortly." I turned to Ms. Jean and Mr. Grant. "I feel like that went really well!" I said. "I think so, you did a good job." He said. "Thank you, so did you." "Just doing my job." He said. It didn't take the jury long to come up with a decision. That made me feel really good. Like either it was a no or a yes one way or the other. And since they came up with it quick maybe it was a guilty charge? I knew she hadn't done anything so bad to deserve jail time but I bet she was in for some community service.

                       The judge looked at the paper in his and. "Ok guys, I got the verdict. It says guilty so Cindy Myers I sentence you to two years of community service and you will also have to do six months of anger management." Good for that one because she really was a mean old lady. "Court is adjourned." The judge banged his gavel well that was that. Over and done with. I had now washed my hands of all of my family. For better or for worse. Who was I kidding this was better. All better.

                    I found Devin in the back row and he gave me a huge hug. "You did great up there I am really proud of you. I'm thinking you have a future in law enforcement." "Maybe not, but I'd be more then happy to help kids like you and me speak up. After being in group this whole time I never knew how many of them felt alone and scared to tell." "So something in social work, I see that. You are just so nice." "Right? But I can also be tough when I need to be." He laughed. "What??" I asked. "What? No, sorry. Yes you can be very tough when you need to be." He smirked. "You're about to see how tough I can be." I said. "Hey maybe I'd like that." He winked. "Just go." I said pinching his arm. "Ow, you are tough."