Lucy turned over and slapped the snooze button on the alarm clock. It couldn't be morning yet, could it? After a long night of tossing and turning and worrying about what this day would bring, she felt like she had just fallen asleep.
Slowly she sat up in bed and turned the alarm clock completely off. She was up now. She looked over at the other side of the bed, expecting to see Craig lying next to her, but instead the bed was empty.
Her first thought should have been that he had just woken up early and was probably making breakfast or looking after Stuart, but something about the room seemed different, emptier.
"Craig?" she called out his name as she got out of bed and crossed the room. She spotted a note on the desk and picked it up to read it.
Dear Lucy,
By the time you read this, I'll be back on my way to the studio. There's a song that's been forming in my head for the last few days and I had to get it down before I lose it completely. I hope you understand. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it first, but I would have just wanted you to come with me even more and I know that you would have said no again. I wanted to say goodbye, but you were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to wake you. I'm not sure when I'll be home, but hopefully it will be soon. I'll give you a call as soon as I get here. Love,
Craig
Lucy stared at the note for a moment in disbelief, before crumpling it in her hands and throwing it down on the desk.
She couldn't believe he left in the middle of the night without even one word of warning, without a goodbye. She didn't need this, especially not today of all days, when she needed his support the most. How could he do this to her?
Victoria wandered through the house, mentally going through a list of everything that needed to be taken care of and relaying the important items to Justin. She was so nervous about the upcoming trial that her mind was rattled. She could hardly think, hardly remember what she was doing or saying.
"Won't that phone ever stop ringing and give me a moment of peace and quiet?" she cried out in frustration.
"I could unplug it," Justin suggested.
"No, don't do that. It could be news from the lawyer or about the trial. Go ahead and answer it, it could be important."
As Justin answered the phone and told yet another person that she was unavailable to speak, Victoria stood lost in the middle of the room. She suddenly couldn't remember what she was doing.
"Are you alright, Mrs. Burgess?" Justin asked once he hung up the phone.
"Yes, I'm fine. Yes," she said, sounding more confident in her answer than she felt. "We just have to make sure everything is taken care of before the trial. I don't want to be distracted when my son needs me."
"Don't worry, I'll see that everything is taken care of while you're gone," he promised. "Shouldn't you be leaving for the courthouse soon?"
Victoria looked at her watch, "Oh, yes, I should. I just need . . . I needed something."
"Your coat?" Justin asked, picking it up of the chair and handing it to her.
"Of course. I'm just so worried about Hector I can't think straight. I just keep wondering if there's anything else I can do for him, anything I overlooked."
"I'm sure you've done everything possible. It's out of your hands now." Victoria frowned at his words. She wasn't so sure about that and even if he was right, she didn't want to admit it to herself. "Don't worry about anything at the house. I'll take care of everything here."
"No, you won't," she said, suddenly changing her mind. "Everything else can wait. I want you to come with me to the courthouse. I might need you there."
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