The first questions weren’t hard. Name, age, birthday, where she went to school. The lawyer was making notes on a pad. Then he put down his pen and looked straight at her.
“Nova, did you get pregnant in the past year?”
She closed her eyes tight. Couldn’t look at him. Nodded.
“Nova, you have to say it out loud.”
She breathed out, a heavy sigh. It was hard. She didn’t want to talk about it. Hurt to think about it. “Yes.”
“Thank you, Nova. Please remember to speak up.”
She opened her eyes. The lawyer didn’t look mad. Didn’t sound impatient. But he could be making her the fool. She didn’t trust him.
“The police report says you got pregnant in December. Is that correct?”
“Yeah.”
Nova looked down. Couldn’t bear his eyes on her. Or her mama’s.
“And you told the police it happened at a party. With older kids?”
“Yeah.”
She kept her gaze down on the table. Concentrated on a scorch mark, the black circle a hot pan had made. Wanted the lawyer to go away. Leave her house. Never come back.
“Do you know who got you pregnant, Nova?”
“It was dark.” Her answer was loud, like it jumped right out of her. She felt like she could hear her heartbeat. “They gave me weed. And wine. And it was too dark to see.”
“Whogave you weed and wine?”
“Older kids. I didn’t know them. Driving around in a car. They not from here.”
“What about the one you had intercourse with? What do you remember about him?”
“Nothing.”
“Can you describe him? Size, race, voice?”
“I don’t remember.” Nova cut her eyes to the side, looking to her mama. Wanting her to help. Wanting her to forgive her. Wanting her to not hate her right now.
“I told him no, told him to stop. I said he was hurting me.”
“So you can recall that? That it was painful, and you told him to stop. What did he say?”
Nova’s breath caught. She wanted to run. Bolt from the room. The memories flooded into her head. What got done to her. What was taken from her. She could remember the pain, the bleeding, and her screaming and begging, please stop.
And she remembered something else. Crying for Mama. Over and over, she kept thinking while it was happening,I want Mama.
“Nova? What did he say?” It was the lawyer. Wanting an answer.
“I don’t know. Can’t remember.”
“Do you recall when you suspected you were pregnant?”
“In March.”
“And how do you remember that?”
