She smiled, real soft this time, and leaned her body more toward me, still holdin’ my hand. “I love the way you talk to me,” she murmured.
“That’s ’cause I’m talkin’ to my wife. I ain’t got no reason to hold back with you.”
The rest of the drive went quiet. By the time we pulled up to the courthouse, the energy changed real quick.
The car in front of us slowed first, and the one behind eased up too, both of ‘em fallin’ into place before I even cut the engine.
By the time we stepped out the car, my security was already movin’. Doors opened, eyes scanned the area, and they fell in around us without sayin’ much, guidin’ us toward the entrance while keepin’ everything tight.
It was way more security than usual at the courthouse, and that shit was expected after what happened to my pops. There was cops everywhere, posted up on corners, standin’ by the doors, and watchin’ every person that came in like they was waitin’ for somethin’ else to go down.
I parked the whip and sat for a second, then looked over at Toni. “Stay close to me,” I told her.
“I am,” she replied, already reachin’ for my hand again.
We made our way toward the entrance, goin’ through the security process like everybody else. They checked everything, had people walkin’ through metal detectors, bags gettin’ searched, and eyes on us the whole time.
I ain’t react to none of it. I just kept movin’.
Eventually, I spotted my mama and pops already there.
My pops was still in the wheelchair, and even though I was glad he was here, that shit still hit me every time I saw him like that. He looked strong, but I knew he wasn’t fully back yet, and I hated that he even had to go through this shit in the first place.
My moms stood beside him with one hand on the back of the chair, lookin’ just as put together as always, but I knew her too well to not see what was underneath that.
I walked over and nodded at them. “Y’all good?”
“We’re good,” my pops said, his voice still solid even with everything he had been through. “Are you good, son?”
“I’m straight,” I replied.
Before I could say anything else, Toni stepped up beside me, her hand slidin’ outta mine as she leaned in and hugged my mama first, holdin’ her tight for a second before pullin’ back and givin’ her that soft smile she always had for her. Then, she bent down a lil’ and wrapped her arms around my pops bein’ real careful and mindful of him, but still holdin’ him close.
“I’m glad you here,” she said to him low.
“I wouldn’t miss this,” he told her, and I could hear it in his voice that he meant that.
She smiled at him, and my mama rested her hand on Toni’s arm for a second, squeezin’ it gentle, and that whole moment sat different with me.
There was a time my father ain’t even want Toni around like that. He wasn’t sure about her, and now I’m standin’ here watchin’ my wife hug him, talk to him, and stand beside him.
I ain’t say nothin’, but I felt that shit.
My lawyers showed up not long after that, and we all started movin’ toward the courtroom together.
Right before we went in, Toni grabbed my hand again and pulled me toward her. She wrapped her arms around me tight, pressin’ herself into me like she needed me to feel her for real.
“Everything gon’ work out,” she said low.
I held her back for a second, then she leaned up and kissed me before she pulled back and looked me in my eyes.
I nodded once. Then we walked in.
The courtroom felt the same as it always did, but different at the same time. We had been doin’ this for months, sittin’ through testimonies, listenin’ to people talk about my life like it was just another case, and watchin’ everything get picked apart piece by piece.
Before I took my seat, Toni caught my hand for a second and squeezed it tight, and I looked at her, noddin’ once before I turned and sat down at the defense table beside my lawyers.
After a while, the prosecution started with their questions, callin’ witnesses, goin’ over what happened at my shop, and bringin’ up the same shit they had been talkin’ about for weeks now. They kept it simple, askin’ about what was seen, what was found, and what people claimed happened that day.
