Page 19 of Ashes of Us
When the Preston's lawyer finished and took a seat, Trista stood up. “Your Honour. What the Prestons and their lawyer are asking for is nothing short of incredibly insensitive and borderline cruel. They are asking for their son's sperm, not so Danica, his wife, whom they admit Jasper loved very much, can have his child, but so his one-night stand can have a child.” She began, and Danica didn't know if she was an excellent actress or if she was as genuinely disgusted with Jasper's parents as the tone of her voice and the look on her face implied.
“This woman approached my client in the hospital, right after she saw her husband and found out he was deceased and had the audacity to tell her she slept with her husband and was carrying his child that she lost and ask her to let her harvest her husbands sperm in practically the same breath.” Trista shot the Preston's another disgusted look, and this time Danica saw shame cross Cecil's face as he stared at the table. Amy, however, just looked back impassively.
“This is the woman they want to have their grandchild?” Trista asked incredulously. “And to state that my client and her husband hadn't planned to have kids, when they were actively trying and had suffered two early miscarriages in the last year, just goes to show how little they knew about their son's life with my client and to that matter, how do we even know she waspregnant with Jasper's child? Was there a paternity test done on the fetus?” Danica felt a small measure of relief as the Preston's lawyer reluctantly shook his head and admitted there wasn't.
“Your Honour, Jasper Preston is being kept alive by machines. His wife would like to remove life support so she can begin the healing and grieving process. Dragging this out for any reason would be mentally and emotionally damaging for my client, but for the reason they're asking is, as I previously stated, cruelty beyond reason.” When she finished laying out the rest of the scant evidence she had, Trista sat down.
The judge leaned back in his seat, looked at them for a long moment, and then addressed Doctor Cuthburt. “Is there any medical reason for Mr. Preston to come off life support immediately?”
Danica watched as the Doctor took a deep breath and stood up. “Keeping his body alive for a long period of time will result in more damage than he has already sustained and allow for the breakdown of his organs and systems. The machines are keeping his heart beating and his blood oxygenated, but his circulation is quite poor, so the injuries he received in the accident are not healing, plus, because he's not moving, pressure sores are starting to develop. We are doing everything in our power to keep him alive and his body healthy, but it is simply unsustainable for longer than a month or two. Eventually, his body will give out.”
“Have you seen any sign that Mrs. Preston is not acting in the best interest of her husband?” He asked, studying Danica over the top of his eyeglasses.
“No.”
“If I may, your honour,” Danica looked over and saw Preston's lawyer had gotten to his feet. “We have evidence thatMrs. Preston tried to attack Miss Gamache in the hospital...” He trailed off as Trista snorted.
“Yes, but I'm sure we can overlook that considering she just saw her husband and found out he was dead, only to be immediately approached, told her husband slept with someone else, got her pregnant and then was asked to give the affair partner her husband's sperm so she could impregnate herself with my clients husband's bastard child. It would be more concerning if my client hadn't wanted to attack her.”
Danica smirked, and Amy and Cecil's faces flushed at that. The judge cleared his throat. “While I understand the context fits, please refrain from using that term in my courtroom.” He didn't look particularly upset about it, though, so Danica wasn't too concerned that it would bite them in the ass.
“She's also banned his family from visiting at the hospital and put round-the-clock security on his door,” the lawyer continued quickly.
“Considering what they went behind her back and filed an emergency injunction, and in light of what they want, I would say that was a smart move.” Trista shot back. Judge Perella held up his hand, and the courtroom, which had been filled with the sounds of whispers from the gallery, fell silent. He leaned forward, steepling his fingers as he observed them in a way that made Danica feel like she was being X-rayed.
“I'm going to grant the injunction.” He began, holding up his hand as Amy started to cry happily and hugged her husband. “I wouldn't celebrate just yet, Mrs. Preston. I'm giving you... three weeks to prove your son wanted this child and was planning to keep it.” He turned to Danica. “I understand the reason for the emergency injunction was a surprise for you, so I'm also giving you three weeks to put together your case andprove he didn't want the child.” Danica felt her chest tighten, but she nodded. “We'll reconvene on August fifth at nine am.” He banged his gavel, and the courtroom immediately erupted into multiple conversations. Danica stood up with Trista and thanked her for coming through on such short notice.
“This is ridiculous,” Trista murmured, taking Danica's arm and leading her out of the courtroom with Emilia hot on their heels. “He never should have granted that injunction.” She shook her head. “There were no grounds to.” She ran her hand through her hair and sighed in frustration. “Come to my office first thing Monday morning, I'll introduce you to David, and you guys can get started.”
Danica nodded and thanked her again before heading out to the car with Emilia.
“Well...” Emilia said that after they got aboard, they just sat staring ahead for several minutes. “I did not see that coming.” Danica nodded numbly as she started the car.
“Yeah, me either.” How the hell was she going to prove Jasper didn't want the baby?
Chapter Seventeen: Lawyers & PIs
After spending the weekend working with Emilia and a few of Jasper's cousins to plan his memorial for Monday afternoon, Danica was up and in the law offices of Elliot and Niehaus by nine and in David Niehaus’ office by ten after nine, with a quick introduction by Trista and the offer of coffee or water. David was a short, portly man with salt and pepper brown hair and sharp brown eyes. After Trista had left them alone, he smiled at her and leaned back in his chair. “Trista gave me a rundown of everything and what happened in court Friday, but I would like to hear it all in your words.” He pulled out a small recorder and set it on his desk. “Do you mind if I record this? It makes it much easier for me to go through and pick out the important parts.”
“No problem.” Danica shrugged; whatever she had to do to help him help her win was fine by her. When he switched on the recorder, he started by asking her to state her full name and briefly describe the issue. “Danica Grace Preston, nee Callahan.” She cleared her throat and then went into the issue, starting once more with the fight she had with Jasper, how heaccused her of cheating with Alexander after he left her five hundred thousand dollars in his will, disappeared for close to fifteen hours and came home begging for forgiveness and to fix the marriage. She laid out their plans, how things were going at home and in their counselling sessions, how he resented that she was travelling for work while they were rebuilding and that she had put the money in a trust instead of quitting her job. He then asked her about the accident, how she found out about the affair, and what the Prestons had done.
“I don't think it was an affair,” Danica said firmly. “I think he wanted to get back at me, then regretted it instantly. Jasper...” Her throat closed off, and she closed her eyes as her mood switched, and her hurt and sadness that he was gone came back again. “He loved me. I don't care what anyone says, he loved me and wanted to be with me. I know here.” She placed her hand over her heart as her voice cracked. “That he didn't want to leave me, that he wouldn't have wanted the baby and if he hadn't died in that car accident, he would have told me the truth and done everything in his power to make it up to me.”
“Would you have stayed with him if he had confessed?” David asked, pushing a box of tissues toward her. Danica pulled out a couple of tissues and swallowed the lump in her throat as she dabbed at her eyes.
“I don't know.” She took a deep breath and tried to force her feelings back to normal. “Things were already so messed up, he grabbed my arm hard enough to leave bruises, and I left my handprint on his cheek. Counselling was bringing up a lot of issues and insecurities that I knew he had, but didn't think were that deep, you know?”
“Like what?” David's voice was soft and sympathetic, and for some reason, it helped Danica control her spiralling emotions.
“Like how much he disliked my relationship with Alexander and Cassandra.” She muttered, shifting uncomfortably. “He felt they saw me as a charity case at best and someone pathetic they felt bad for at worst. He admitted he didn't really think I was having an affair with Alexander, but he was deeply jealous of and insecure about me working for Alex, especially since Alex is in the process of divorcing his wife in England. He said something about not liking the way Alex looks at me, but Alex… well, I won't say he actively hates me, but I'm definitely not his favourite person, especially since he's forced to rely on me for a lot of the hotel operations.” She ran her hand through her hair and looked up at the ceiling. “I did everything I could to make him feel secure. I was even going to quit my job and move to Dedham with him to open a classic car restoration garage with him.”
“So, you were both committed to working things out and moving forward in your marriage.” David nodded. “Kids?”
“No, but we weren't trying to prevent it from happening.” Danica looked back down at David. “I had two early miscarriages earlier this year, pretty much right after my doctor confirmed I was pregnant both times around the ten-week mark.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.” And he did look genuinely sorry for her, Danica noticed, like he understood the pain she and Jasper went through both times. “Did your physician tell you why you miscarried?”
“Um, the first time there was a problem with how the baby's organs were developing, and he died, the second time they didn't know, just said it happens sometimes.”
