Chapter 7 - The Walk Out
They packed up the diaper bag in silence.
Clarabel carefully tucked the baby formula, the bottle, and the spare clothes back into the canvas tote.
Daniel handed her a certified copy of the judge's temporary orders. “The permanent ones will be mailed next week. But this is your shield. Nobody can touch her, Clara. Nobody.”
Clarabel took the paper. It felt completely different from the heavy cream cardstock. It felt light. It felt real.
She looked across the aisle. Sterling was already gone, having fled the moment he was dismissed. Julian was standing by his mother.
Two police officers had entered the back of the courtroom. They were speaking in low tones to the bailiff, pointing toward Margaret Vance.
Julian looked at Clarabel one last time. There was a plea in his eyes. A silent beg for her to stop this, to go back to being the quiet, compliant girl he had married.
Clarabel didn't look away. She held his gaze until he dropped his.
She hoisted the diaper bag onto her shoulder. She adjusted Lily securely against her chest.
“Ready?” Daniel asked, grabbing his battered briefcase.
“Yes,” Clarabel said.
They walked up the aisle.
Twelve steps. Maybe fifteen.
The left heel still pinched. Her dress still smelled like burnt toast and cheap detergent.
But as she passed Margaret Vance—who was now being quietly asked to place her hands behind her back by an officer—Clarabel didn't flinch. She didn't speed up.
She walked with the slow, deliberate grace of a woman who owned the ground she stepped on.
They pushed through the heavy oak doors. They walked down the marble hallway.
They stepped into the elevator.
“I don't know how to thank you,” Clarabel said as the doors slid shut.
Daniel leaned against the brass rail and smiled. It was a real smile, reaching his tired eyes.
“You don't have to. The Vance estate is going to buy me a very nice boat with the legal fees they owe me. I should be thanking you.”
Clarabel let out a small, breathless laugh. It was the first time she had laughed in months.
“What are you going to do now?” Daniel asked softly.
May you like
Clarabel looked down at Lily. The baby was awake now, her dark eyes blinking up at the ceiling lights.
“I’m going to go home,” Clarabel said. “To my mother’s tiny apartment. And I’m going to make a cup of tea. And I’m going to hold my daughter.”
