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Her father steps forward and I glare at him. “Don’t test me. I won’t hit her, but I will gladly knock you out.”
I glance around the lot, scanning for a police vehicle. Spot one in the distance, an officer sitting behind the wheel, and wave my arm high. The police cruiser veers our way and stops a few car lengths back. After talking into the radio on her shoulder, the officer steps out of the car and approaches us.
“What seems to be the problem?”
I lift Autumn’s mother’s arm. “This woman just assaulted my girlfriend. She, and this man, approached us in the lot after our hearing in the courthouse.”
The female officer steps closer to Autumn, who hasn’t stood up yet, and squats in front of her. “Are you alright, ma’am?” Autumn nods and the officer extends a hand to help her up. “Tell me what happened here.” Her question directed at Autumn.
Autumn explains the reason we came to the courthouse today. How she was shocked to see her parents with her ex. Then, she gives a small backstory regarding her parents before explaining what happened as we approached the Jeep.
Before the officer begins questioning Autumn’s parents, I interject about the harassment and police report she filed. I add how Autumn’s father basically confessed to the notes and damage after I put the pieces together.
“You can’t prove shit, lowlife,” her father hisses.
Autumn steps up to her father. Gets in his face. Emboldened with the officer at her back. “Did you do this? Did you write those notes and trash my car? Try to take my daughter away from me by using her birth father as a scapegoat?”
His lip curls. Eyes narrow. He leans in, inches from her face. “You don’t deserve to be her mother. Gallivanting around like a whore. Living a trashy life. No sign of God in your life. Worthless.” He inches back and spits at her feet. “You’re no daughter of mine.”
The officer steps around Autumn, grabs his hands and yanks them behind his back. She reads him his rights and steers him to the back seat of her car. All the while, Autumn’s mother thrashes in my grip.
“Who do you think you are?” she hollers at the officer. “How dare you arrest a man of the cloth. You’ll burn in hell for this.” She shifts her gaze to Autumn. “As will you. You disgust me. At least your sister knows what it means to be a good Christian woman. At least I don’t regret her coming from my womb.”
I tighten my grip on her wrist. “Best if you stop speaking now. Before you dig yourself in a deeper hole.”
Autumn sidles up to me, takes my free hand and shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. Let her say whatever she wants.” Autumn turns her attention on her mother. “I’ve always known who you are, mother. Always known I wouldn’t live up to your expectations. As a child, it hurt when I never made you happy or proud. As a woman…” she sighs, “I don’t care. There has never been a day in my life where I felt your love. Ever. Growing up under your scrutiny made me feel small and meaningless. The day I left… that was the day I woke up. Came to life. I may have lived in a shelter for a short time, but even those people cared for me more than you ever did.” Autumn wraps her hand around my waist. “And finding Jonas, discovering true love, has wiped away every ounce of hurt you and father inflicted upon me.”
Caught up in her proclamation, I miss the slight shift as Autumn’s mother swings her free hand forward. A crack ripples in the air as her hand connects with Autumn’s face.
“You ungrateful little witch,” her mother hisses.
The officer jogs over from the cruiser, yanks Autumn’s mother’s wrists behind her back, and cuffs her. As she walks her to the cruiser, she prattles off Miranda rights.
I face Autumn, framing her cheeks in my hands. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes glaze over as she stares up at me. “Yes. No. I don’t know.”
On the verge of tears, I hug her to my chest and turn her face away from the police cruiser. “Got you, scarlet.” She fists the back of my shirt, trembling against my frame. “Shh, shh, shh. I got you.” I sway her slowly in my arms.
As her grip loosens on my shirt, the officer approaches us. “Ma’am, I need to know if you’d like to press assault charges.”
Autumn peeks up at me, seeking guidance. I want to tell her yes. Want to tell her she should not allow them to get away with everything they have done. But I don’t. Instead, I give her a soft smile that says the choice is hers. I will never rob her of her choices. And this decision, although it weighs heavily, is one she should make on her own.
She swallows and meets the officer’s gaze. “Yes.” Her frame relaxes in my arms. “I want to press charges.”
The officer takes out a business card from her breast pocket and writes on it before handing it to Autumn. “The case number is on the card. As soon as possible, we need you to come to the station and give a formal statement.” Autumn nods. “If anything else occurs, call the number on the card.” The officer smiles, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “Sorry this happened to you. Try to enjoy the rest of your day.”
Turning on her heel, she walks to the cruiser, gets in, and drives off.
Autumn sighs and I steer her toward the Jeep. “C’mon. I know exactly where to go.”
TWENTY-FIVE
AUTUMN
What the hell just happened?
Jonas helps me up into the Jeep. I buckle my seat belt and stare out the windshield, the world around me a clouded haze.
