Sam stepped in behind her when they got in line to go through the security scanner. Someone behind Sam complained about the wait, but Seaton was happy to go through the metal detector.
Daryl had never threatened or hurt her with a weapon, his words and judgmental looks were more than enough to leave her sobbing. Still, it reassured her that they had to go through the detector. It made the courthouse safer for everyone.
How could that be a problem?
The courtroom they were assigned to was on the second floor, but rather than going in the elevator, Seaton opted for the stairs. The last thing she wanted to do was to be trapped in an elevator with Daryl. Her anxiety didn't want to consider the possibility.
She didn’t have to worry about him on the stairs. He didn’t like to expend any extra energy. He’d wait longer for an elevator instead of expending the energy to climb even a flight of stairs.
From the top of the stairs, Calleigh led them down the hallway on the right to the courtroom at the far end.
Seaton heard Sam talk from behind her. "Calleigh? Do you want me to go in first?"
Calleigh turned around with a smile. "The bailiff is already inside. They've got security set and," she held up her phone, "the court clerk just let me know that your ex hasn't arrived in the courtroom. We're good."
Seaton felt relieved to hear that and Sam rubbed her back to reassure her.
Calleigh went in first, holding the door open from the inside of the courtroom and the instant that she stepped inside, Seaton felt the world shift under her feet.
It wasn't an earthquake in the real sense, but the seismic shift she felt was just as real.
The two rows of seats behind the plaintiff's table were full.
Full of people who were there on her behalf.
As she fought back the sudden onslaught of tears, she moved down the side wall of the courtroom and saw the faces of everyone who was waiting for her.
The first seat was held by Station Seven’s Fire Chief, Ethan Blaise. His wife and daughter were next and beyond Aylin, was Rook.
Seaton could hardly believe it.
Sam had changed shifts with another firefighter so he could be there for her, but Rook?
He didn't have to be there.
Neither did Chief Blaise.
As she moved closer, she saw that every single firefighter on Sam's shift was sitting there behind her table. A woman stood up from the third row and walked over to her.
Seaton was stunned.
She'd met this woman a couple of times, but most of what she knew was from things she'd seen online or in the news.
"Missus Bravo."
Sloane King Bravo reached out and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Call me Sloane, please. I wanted to come down and support you today."
Seaton looked at her in awe. "It's through your support that I was able to have Calleigh as my lawyer. That's already incredible. Thank you."
It was true. Calleigh Procter was on retainer for Helping Hearts, a community foundation funded by Sloane King Bravo to help women and children in need. That included women who were victims of domestic abuse both physical and mental. Seaton's first lawyer was hired while she was married, she was able to pay for it herself. Now that she was divorced and living on her own, most of her savings, such as it was, was tied up in the home she was renting. The money she had been earning selling the senior walker pockets she'd designed with her grandmother hadn't been all that much. And she'd just started working at the diner, so she hadn't been able to make much there either.
If she hadn't had the access to the legal help offered by Helping Hearts, she wouldn't be here, because she didn't have the skill or calm to represent herself.
The man standing at Sloane's shoulder wasn't familiar, but he was certainly an imposing man.
Even with his dark good looks and his physique he didn't scare her in the least. There was something about his presence that said that he was a protector, a hero.
Sloane made the introductions. "This is my husband, Vincente Bravo, a Special Agent with the FBI. He's stationed in San Antonio."
