Untouchable

Epilogue: Conclusions

Alas, the end is here.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Epilogue: Conclusions

"Cara! Try to be careful, honey!" I yelled as my three-year-old went gallivanting off to the swings.

"Okay, Mama!" she hollered back. Her tight brown curls bounced around her shoulders as she skipped over the rubber mulch. I winced as she tripped over air, but caught herself before she face planted. She looked over her shoulder, smiling cheesily. "I'm good, Mama!" She held up her hands to show no scrapes. I nodded and she ran for the free swing.

Chuckling, I watched her dive onto the swing on her belly. Laughter floated over the air, tinkling bells of joy. Her love of the playground was infamous. I circumvented the begging today by taking her to the park before she could even ask. Though it might have been in vain because Jack was watching her this afternoon and I knew that he'd give in to anything she asked. The last time he babysat she came back covered in melted ice cream and suffering from a tummy ache. I made him stay to clean up the puke.

Sitting down on a bench surrounding the playground, I smiled cordially at the other mothers, ignoring their obvious sneers for my age.

It had been a long three years. The best three years of my life.

Not long after Cara was born, Jimmy was convicted of rape in the second degree and assault of the second degree. He was sentenced to five to ten years in prison with the option of parole at three. Three years was coming up in a few weeks.

The trial felt like yesterday.

I sat quietly on the stand. I was proud of myself. I'd held it together. I'd clearly and succinctly given them my story; everything was on the table. I nervously twisted my hands then looked up at the gallery. My father sat in the second row; I watched as he wiped his eyes.

Next to him was Will; I could see the tension in his jaw. His fists were probably clenched. He'd been dreading this almost as much as I had. He caught my gaze and I felt it, that sense of completion, endless understanding, and ... love. We hadn't said anything like that to each other. But I knew we felt it. Every time he kissed me softly and took Cara from my arms. Every time I found him rocking her, singing some lullaby when she should have been sleeping. Every time he rubbed my back or held my hand or did my homework because I hadn't had time, I knew. I smiled slightly at him to receive a crooked grin in return.

And finally next to Will sat Ali, who was giving the full Alison-Burnett-Death-Glare to my ex. He had the gall to sit through my entire testimony with a self-important smirk on his face, like no matter what we said he would still go free.

Jack and Lizzie had made the trip up this time. They were currently watching Cara. Lizzie had been a godsend; she had a natural knack with babies. It was just one more thing to feel inadequate about, but she continued to reassure me that the only reason was because she knew she'd give Cara back at the end of the night. Other than my father or Will, there was no one else I would trust my baby with.

A few rows behind them sat Susanne. She was still as a statue; not one tear was shed during my testimony. We hadn't spoke since my last visit. I sent her a picture of Cara, but she never responded. I took that as her choice. It was the last time I saw her.

"Miss Oliver, why did you wait until November to bring this to the attention of the police?"

I looked at Jimmy's slime-ball attorney. Clasping my hands together tightly, I responded softly, "I was in shock; I was scared. I was seventeen-years-old and the boy I had dated for two years had drugged me and beaten me and raped me. I was suffering from post-traumatic-stress-disorder. I wanted it to all go away."