I looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
He didn’t explain.
And I was beginning to get nervous.
Brian was already seated beside his attorney when we entered the courtroom.
He wore a sharp navy suit and had recently cut his hair.
He looked confident.
Relaxed.
Almost pleased with himself.
When he saw me, his expression barely changed.
But then his eyes moved toward my father.
And something happened.
His shoulders stiffened.
His mouth tightened.
For a brief moment, he looked genuinely frightened.
Then he quickly looked down at his papers.
I leaned toward Dad.
“Did you see that?”
He stared toward the judge’s bench.
“Let Claire handle today.”
I felt a knot forming in my stomach.
Judge Alvarez entered a few minutes later.
We stood.
Then the hearing began.
Claire presented the damage photographs.
The three holes.
The running faucets.
The water meter readings.
The soaked bathroom floors.
