Page 40 of Prairie Nights

Whitney smiled, hugging her phone to her chest. She loved Hayden so much. Even though he wasn’t there with her physically, he was with her in spirit, giving her strength.

Gerald popped his head out of the courtroom and motioned for Whitney to come in. Whitney entered the courtroom, following Gerald to the front, and he gestured for her to take a seat to the right of him. A side door opened, the defence lawyer walked in with Paul following behind him, his hands cuffed and two court officers flagging the duo. Paul’s eyes flitted over to Whitney, and she met his stare. His cold dark eyes froze her for a moment as she took in his thin, gaunt frame with the beginnings of a scruffy beard. So different from the Paul she remembered and yet the same. Darting her eyes away from him, she faced forward, remaining poised as Gerald leaned over to her and whispered. “We got this Whitney.”

Whitney nodded and continued to look forward as the judge entered the room and they rose in her presence.

“The Honorable Justice Fields,” the bailiff announced.

The judge took her seat.

“Please be seated.” She said, before looking at the case file in front of her. “In the case of Paul Denski, the defendant and Whitney Faris, the plaintiff, with the charges of stalking, uttering threats, breaking and entering and failure to comply with a protection order, how do you plead?”

“Guilty, your honor,” the defence lawyer answered on behalf of her ex-husband.

The judge nodded and opened the folder, perusing its contents for a few minutes, a restless quiet falling on the courtroom before she continued. “In reviewing this case and the evidence collected supporting these charges, it is the opinion of the court that a trial will not be necessary. Are we in agreement?” the judge asked, looking back and forth between both parties. Both lawyers answered, “Correct.”

“Before I commence with sentencing, I want to give both Mr. Denski and Ms. Faris an opportunity to speak. Ms. Faris, you can go first.”

Gerald touched her shoulder and gestured for her to stand. Whitney stood nervously wringing her hands, the judge nodding for her to start. “Thank you, your honor. I would like to address Mr. Denski personally.”

“I will allow it. Go ahead.”

Whitney took a deep breath and blew it out slowly as she turned towards the defendant’s table, her eyes meeting Paul’s from across the courtroom. His gaze was vacant and void of emotion. She held her head higher and spoke, her voice shaky but full of conviction.

“Paul, when we met 12 years ago, I was just a young, naïve woman, a woman that had her entire life ahead of her and wanted nothing more than to be cared for and loved. I wanted to have the love and devotion my parents had, and you promised that to me when you married me. In the years we were together, you did everything in your power to break my spirit. You called me horrendous names and blamed me for your shortcomings. You accused me of doing terrible things, things that you did many times during our marriage. You made me believe no one would ever love me. You tried everything you could to break me, but I want you to know that you didn’t break me. I have risen above those years with you and have a bright, beautiful future ahead of me. A future full of love and true, honest devotion. And I hope you think about what you did to me and get the help you need so that one day, God willing, you’ll become a better person.” Whitney turned to the judge. “Thank you, Your Honor.”

She sat down and the judge turned her gaze to Paul.

“Mr. Denski. Do you have anything to say?”

The defence lawyer turned to Paul, whispering to him, and turned back to the judge.

“My client has nothing to say.”

The Judge took off her glasses and rubbed her hand over her face then looked up, addressing everyone in the courtroom.

“Mr. Denski, please stand.” She announced. Paul stood as directed, and Whitney glanced at him, looking for any shred of remorse. Nothing.

“Although, this would normally be a case that would see trial due to the severity of the charges, I feel with the plea of guilty on all counts, jumping ahead to sentencing is the best course of action for all parties.” Turning her attention to Whitney, the judge continued, “Ms. Faris, as a woman, I feel your words to Mr. Denski deeply. I’ve seen many cases over the years, and a case such as this is never cut and dry. However, in this case it needs to be.” She turned back to Paul and continued. “Mr. Denski, I hereby sentence you to the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for one count of stalking and one count of Breaking and Entering. An additional five years will be added to your sentence for uttering threats and two more years for breaking the order of protection against Ms. Faris. That is 27 years for the crimes you have committed. You will be eligible for parole in 15 years on the condition that you seek psychiatric help. Bailiff, please escort Mr. Denski out of the courtroom. This court is adjourned.”

The gavel dropped, and Whitney seemed to finally wake from her nightmare. “Did that just happen?” Whitney whispered to Gerald, as he closed his file folder and stuffed it into his briefcase.

“It did, Whitney. It's finally over.”

Whitney smiled, a tear escaping down her cheek. It's finally over.

* * *

Hayden couldn’t wait to see Whitney. She had been gone for five days and he missed her so much he ached. Seeing the arrival doors open, he waited with bated breath as he held a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses. Her favorite.

Having video chatted with her last night, he knew the outcome of the court hearing and could see the relief on her beautiful face. She was finally free, and her ex-husband was in jail. That dark part of her life was now over and allowing them to finally move forward.

He glanced up to the top of the escalator and spotted her blonde head in the crowd. There she was, his gorgeous girlfriend, the love of his life. A huge, bright smile enveloped her face when she spotted him. Descending the escalator, finally reaching ground level, she ran towards him, dropped her carry on to the ground and jumped into his arms. Hayden laughed, trying to hold onto her and the bouquet of roses in his hand.

“I missed you, Hays.” she declared, meeting his eyes, and crushing her lips to his. Her kiss softened as she melted into him, and he could feel all the tension leave her body. Pulling away, Hayden glanced around them, their kiss having made them a spectacle amongst the arriving passengers. “I don’t care!” she exclaimed, showering his face with kisses. “I love you so much!”

“I love you too, gorgeous!” he laughed as she continued her onslaught of affection, and he slowly lowered her to her feet. “These are for you.”

“They’re beautiful.” She mused, breathing them in deeply. “Thank you.”

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