Authors: Theresa Rizzo
“No. Not strange at all.” Her mom raised her chin, trying to protect Jenny. “Jenny was grieving for both her husband and baby. Grief’s a very private thing. We all express it differently.”
Ms. Blair moved on. “Mrs. Campbell, your son was rather seriously hurt in a skateboarding accident spring of 2011. Isn’t it true that you held your daughter responsible for the accident?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I’d forbidden Michael to get a skateboard.”
“Why’d you forbid your son from having a skateboard?”
“They’re dangerous.”
“So, why’d you blame Jenny for your son’s accident?”
“She bought Michael the board—along with a helmet and pads,” her mother added quickly before the attorney could interrupt her again.
“So, knowing that you had forbidden your son to own, or ride, a skateboard,
because it was dangerous
,” she stressed, “Jenny ignored your wishes? She ignored the potential danger to her minor brother and gave him a skateboard?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly were your son’s injuries as a direct result of his skateboard accident.”
Her mother licked her lips. “He had a concussion, a broken wrist, and a ruptured spleen,”
“Along with an assorted variety of bumps and contusions,” Ms. Blair looked at her. “Correct?”
“Yes.”
“And your son required surgery and a protracted stay in the hospital due to his injuries. Isn’t that true?”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“Isn’t it true that you were so enraged by your daughter’s immaturity and defiance, her reckless endangerment of your son, that you banned her from his bedside?”
Jenny was comforted by the regret covering her mother’s face. “No. Jenny stayed with her brother at night so I could get some rest.”
“Did you worry about your son’s safety while she was with him?”
“In the hospital?” Her mother looked confused. “No.”
Helen stood, “I object. This whole incident is collateral and of marginal relevance. Your Honor, at this point counsel is attempting to elicit opinion testimony.”
“I agree.” The judge turned to Ms. Blair, giving her a censorious look. “Move on, counselor. You’ve made your point.”
“No more questions.”
Helen rose and walked toward Jenny’s mother. “Mrs. Campbell, when Ms. Blair asked you why you opposed Jenny’s marriage, you were going to add something when she interrupted you. What did you want to add?”
“I was wrong. Because Jenny was fifteen years younger than Gabe and because he was a sophisticated doctor with teenagers from a previous marriage, I thought Jenny couldn’t handle marriage to him and being a stepmother.” Her eyes met Jenny’s, with an expression both warm and full of pride. “But I was wrong. Jenny’s become great friends with Gabe’s children, and she and Gabe had a wonderful marriage,” she paused to glare at the plaintiff, “despite the trouble George Turner tried to cause. I was the wrong one, not Jenny.”
“And when she asked you about Jenny’s intentions to have children, you were going to add…”
“At that time, Jenny was upset and angry with me. She said things she didn’t mean.”
“Objection,” Ms. Blair inserted. “The witness can’t possibly judge if her daughter meant what she said or not.”
“Objection sustained.” The judge bent to her mother. “Mrs. Campbell, you may testify only to the facts of what was said.”
Helen looked at Jenny’s mother. “What was Gabe’s reaction to Jenny’s rash proclamation that she didn’t want children?”
“He said that Jenny might not want children right then,
but
,” she paused to make sure she had everybody’s attention, “if they should change their minds, they’d be fine. Then he reassured us of how much he loved Jenny and that he’d take care of her and do his best to make her happy,” she finished, sniffling and blinking back tears.
“And did he make her happy?”
“Objection, calls for opinion.”
“I’ll rephrase. Mrs. Campbell, did you ever witness a fight or disagreement between your daughter and son-in-law?”
“No.”
“Did Jenny or Gabe ever tell you that they’d had a disagreement?”
She lifted her chin, as if proud of their solid marriage. “
Never
. Gabe was crazy about Jenny. In fact, he was quite protective of her. While we were having our difficulties, he
always
supported her in everything.”
“No more questions.”
Jenny’s mom left the witness box and sat between her father and Alex. Alex put an arm around Mom’s shoulders and squeezed in support. Jenny smiled encouragingly at her. Having her mess with Michael rehashed in public was a little embarrassing, but Jenny’d come to terms with her mistake long ago. Having to say anything that might hurt her chances in the trial visibly upset her mother, and Jenny’s heart went out to her.
Alex looked relaxed and defiant as she raised her chin at Ms. Blair’s first question. Jenny hoped that Alex’s natural chattiness wouldn’t land her in trouble, like the time at the hospital when she’d tried to console George and let slip that Gabe would have wanted her to have his baby. Helen had spent hours preparing Alex for this testimony, but under stress and in her desire to help, Alex could easily say the wrong thing.
“Ms. Harrison, were you sixteen when your father married the then twenty-six-year-old defendant?”
“Almost seventeen,” Alex corrected.
“Is Jenny a good stepmother?”
“That depends upon what you mean by good. She’s more of a friend than a stepmom.”
“What do you mean?”
“At first I thought it was kind of weird—their getting married. I mean, my friends used to joke about my dad being hot, but he’s so old and Jenny’s so pretty and so much younger. I just didn’t get it.”
“You weren’t embarrassed or humiliated by her?”
She held her breath, hoping Alex wouldn’t bring up her jealousy at her graduation party when the guy Alex had a crush on asked Jenny to dance.
“No.” Alex frowned, puzzled. “Why would I be?”
Ms. Blair gave Alex a sharp look, but ignored the impertinent question. Briefly referring to her notes, she approached Alex and began speaking tentatively as if choosing her words carefully. “It sounds like your relationship was a combination friend/stepmom…did you ever see, or hear, Jenny do, or say, anything that caused you to wonder about her capabilities as a stepmother?”
“Objection, opinion,” Helen spouted.
“It does call for opinion testimony,” Judge Delaney agreed. “But in this case, because I’m called upon to assess the defendant’s capabilities as a mother, I’ll allow some latitude.” He turned to Alex. “Please answer the question.”
Alex’s head swiveled between the attorney and the judge as she followed the exchange. “No. Jenny never acted strangely or inappropriately.”
“Did she ever discipline you?”
“She never grounded me, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“What about signing permission slips for school or giving you permission for things requiring a parent’s signature?”
“No. My mom, stepdad, or dad always did that stuff.”
“Take you to the doctor’s, dentist or orthodontist?”
Alex raised an eyebrow and gave the attorney a superior, you’re-stupid look. She’d had her driver’s license the whole of their marriage—which she apparently thought that Ms. Blair should have known, if she’d done her homework. “I drove myself.”
She walked closer. “Did you share confidences? Did she ever offer you advice?”
Alex’s smile waned, seemingly along with her confidence, to be replaced by an almost palpable wariness. “Yeah.”
The attorney, sensing she was onto something at last, calmed. She stopped pacing and watched Alex closely. A predatory gleam narrowed her eyes. “What advice did she give you?”
“To put my mom, dad, stepdad, and Jenny’s cell numbers at the top of my speed dial list—for emergencies.”
Ms. Blair’s jaw clenched. “Anything else?” she snapped. “If you and Jenny were friends, surely you must have talked about boys? Dating?”
Alex’s mouth tightened. She looked to Helen in a silent plea, not wanting to answer the question. Helen gave her an encouraging nod.
“Just once. When I wanted to go on this camping trip my junior year.”
“What did you talk about?”
“My mom didn’t want me to go because she hated my boyfriend, so I went to Dad for permission.”
“Was the fact that your mom didn’t like your boyfriend the only reason she didn’t want you to go?”
“Objection.” Helen stood. “Your Honor, I don’t see the relevancy here.”
“Mrs. Harrison’s relationship with her stepdaughter bears on how well she’d raise her own child,” Ms. Blair claimed.
“Be brief, counselor. I’m tiring of this line of questioning. Objection overruled,” he declared.
“Ms. Harrison. What were your mother’s other objections to your proposed camping trip?”
Alex shifted in her seat and avoided the attorney’s gaze. “She was worried we’d spend the weekend having sex.”
Ms. Blair’s expression lightened, looking interested. “And did you tell your stepmother this?”
“Yes.”
“And what was her response?”
Alex glanced at her. Jenny smiled encouragingly.
“She asked me if I was sexually active.”
“And?”
And what? Was she asking Alex if she was indeed sexually active? Jenny looked at Helen, amazed she wasn’t protesting. In fact, she could have sworn she even saw Helen wink at Alex. What was she thinking? This was no game; this was her life.
Alex smiled at Jenny, a familiar impudent grin. “I asked her if she’d had sex with my dad before they married.”
Ms. Blair raised her eyebrows, following Alex’s gaze to Jenny. “What was her response?”
Uncomfortable with the turn the questioning had taken, Jenny wanted to squirm, but with everybody watching her, she refused to give them the satisfaction. Her and Gabe’s sex life was none of their business.
Alex smirked at the attorney. “Basically she told me it was none of my business. She said if I was smart, I’d get on the pill and use a condom so I wouldn’t end up pregnant.”
“So she told you it was okay for you, a high school junior, to have sex?”
“No. She told me
if I chose
to do it, to use birth control because a baby would wreck my life.”
“Having a baby would wreck a woman’s life?”
“No,” Alex glowered at the attorney who seemed bent on misinterpreting her words. “
My
having an
unplanned
baby at
my
age and place in life would wreck
my
life.”
Seeing that she couldn’t trick Alex into saying anything else incriminating, Ms. Blair changed her line of questioning. “Ms. Harrison, did you ever hear your father or stepmother mention that they were trying to conceive a baby? Before your father’s accident,” she amended.
Alex shook her head. “No.”
“Did you know Jenny was pregnant before she miscarried?”
“No.”
“Did they ever talk about starting their own family?”
“No.”
“Did you ever hear your stepmother say she
didn’t
want to have children?”
“Never.”
“Did you ever hear her say that she
did
want to have children?”
“No,” Alex conceded.
“Have you ever seen your stepmother with young children?”
“Yes.” Alex smile in triumph, pleased with the opportunity to say something good about Jenny. “She babysat my friend’s baby.”
“And how did she behave with the child?”
Alex frowned. “Fine.”
“Did she seem to know what to do?”
Alex gave her another impatient look. “Well, she didn’t drop him.”
“Was she awkward with the baby?”
“Not at all. Jenny was a natural with him.”
“No more questions.”
Jenny shifted in her chair, wishing Alex hadn’t stretched the truth so much. She hadn’t been totally comfortable with baby Adam. She hadn’t been inept, just a little nervous.
Helen looked up from her drawing and rolled the pen between her hands. “Alex, did you ever hear you father and stepmother seriously argue?” she asked, matter-of-factly.
“No. They were great together.”
“No more questions.”
The judge dismissed Alex.
Ted’s testimony was understandably brief since he’d started college the year Jenny and Gabe had married. Jenny hadn’t had nearly the contact with him that she’d had with Alex. In fact, Jenny wondered why the plaintiff even had him testify at all. The judge looked bored and eagerly dismissed Ted when Helen finished her cross.
“We’ll break for lunch now. Court will resume at one o’clock.” The judge pounded the gavel and they all rose as he left the room in a swirl of black robes.
Jenny grabbed Steve’s sleeve, excused them and pulled him to the side at the front of the room. “What’re you doing? How come you’re listed as my attorney?”
He had to bend his head close to hear her clipped whispers. Steve straightened, looking over her head thoughtfully. “It’s good strategy.”
“But you still don’t agree that I should have the baby?”
He slowly shook his head. “No.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You’d find out soon enough.”
“I had a right to know.”
“Now you know.”
“But why? I don’t understand.”
He looked away, reluctant to explain. “It’s just better this way.”
“What if we lose? You said this is a tough case. We could lose. You hate to lose.”
He shrugged. “I’ll live.”
“Your boss won’t like your name linked to this case.”
“The firm’s not listed, just me.”
“But this could cost you your job,” Jenny insisted. “The reputation you’ve worked so hard for.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He took her arm and tried to turn her. “Let’s get some lunch.”
It just didn’t make sense. Jenny stood firm, pursing her lips stubbornly. “Why’d you do it?”
Steve sighed, looking annoyed. He abruptly sat against the table so that they were at the same eyelevel. Pulling her close until their faces were mere inches away, Steve raised his eyebrows and spoke slowly. “If I’m listed as your counsel, the plaintiff cannot subpoena me to testify against you.”