Page 2 of Driftwood Daffodil

I even held onto that hope during the trial. But the instant that guilty verdict was read, any spark of hope I had died. Pain and numbness was the only thing I felt now.

Veda would never be the same and Kato’s fate was about to be sealed. All I could do was sit here and listen. The fact that Kato chose to wear his prison issued grey jumpsuit instead of his suit told me that he’d already accepted defeat.

Veda was broken, Kato was gone, and I was what… A witness? A bystander? The clean-up crew?

My brother didn’t take me with him to the bar that night. I didn’t hear Atlas Mancini bragging about what he’d done to oursister. I wasn’t there to stop Kato from beating him to death. But I had to live with the repercussions.

Happy fifteenth birthday Nova.

Disappointment flooded Kato’s face when his blue eyes landed on me. How I longed to see just a hint of the smile he used to wear.

Not many people in town knew who my sister and I were, but Kato… His charm was an infection that drew people in. It didn’t matter if he’d known them his entire life, or if they just came into his garage for a quick oil change. Kato made everyone feel special.

It’s funny how fast supposed friends would turn on you. Not one single person was sitting on the defense’s side of the courtroom – aside from myself and the reporter in the back. Not a single one of his friends or coworkers bothered to ask how he was doing, or check in on us. We no longer existed to them. Even my brother’s fiancé had moved on.

So here we were, once again left with no one but each other.

Kato and I should be out on the bayou with our rods in the water. Not sitting in a stuffy courtroom. Guess I could kiss that birthday tradition goodbye. Memories were all that was left.

Veda whining and complaining that she needed to get up so early while Kato teased us about becoming gator food.

“Stop rocking the boat,”he’d sing. “Those gators are waiting for lunch.”

That boat was currently docked alone and unused, while Veda was stuck in a hospital bed barely able to move on her own. All because Atlas Mancini and his friends decided they wanted to have fun with our sister.

Two guards led my brother over to where his lawyer, Harry Tucker, was sitting. Though I’d argue that Harry wasn’t worthy of that job title. He didn’t even attempt to put up a decentdefence. The only thing he did well was wear a suit. And even that was iffy.

“Nova?” Kato huffed out a breath. “What are you doing here?”

“Where else would I be?”

As much as I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear, I would never abandon him. I was going to sit right here in the blue summer dress Kato bought me for my birthday, and smile for the both of us.

I’d be the light in his shadows.

Kato slipped into his chair and whispered, “I told you not to come.”

“I know.” I just didn’t care.

Kato sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, though I wasn’t sure why he was surprised. I was thirteen when our mother died and he took over the parenting role. He should be used to me disobeying him by now.

Not many twenty-year-old’s would be willing to raise their sisters. Teenage girls were a pain in the ass. I was one and could barely handle myself. Yet Kato didn’t so much as hesitate. He stepped up with a single complaint.

“Go home, Nova.”

I rolled my shoulders back and looked him dead in the eye, “I am home.”

Kato was my home, and so was Veda. She was still recovering and couldn’t be here, so I would be here for the both of us. I was going to keep my ass on this bench and support my brother until they took him away.

The thought of that made me sick.

“Stay right there, Nova.” Harry said while flipping through some papers.

“Why would I leave?”

“Because I told you to,” Kato growled while giving his lawyer a dirty look.

Harry sighed, “you need someone to make a statement on your behalf, Kato.”