Aftermath by Tracy Brown Page A

admitted.
    Camille had to turn the tables on Toya. “Well, you just got around to telling us about your father and what you went through as a kid,” she said. “All this time, we’ve all been spilling our guts out about our problems and you never once shared your own pain.”
    Toya nodded. “Exactly. That’s what I’m saying. We all have to stop keeping shit to ourselves.” She shook her head. “Yesterday Misa found out some terrible information. And instead of picking up the phone to call one of us, she spazzed out. Now she’s in serious trouble. We can’t let this happen again.”
    Camille and Dominique agreed. “No more secrets.” Camille yawned and soon Toya and Dominique were doing the same.
    â€œLet’s try to get some rest,” Dominique said.
    Camille stretched and nodded in agreement. “Misa’s going to need to see our faces in that courtroom when she walks in.”
    Dominique helped Camille and Toya get comfortable—Camille in Dominique’s bed and Toya in Octavia’s—and then lay down on her sofa with a chenille throw wrapped around her. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the horrible scenarios playing out in her mind. She imagined Octavia being victimized in countless ways, and the worry that tugged at her heart and mind kept her from getting one wink of sleep. More than ever, Dominique wished that her man Jamel was there with her instead of incarcerated in a correctional facility upstate. She would have given anything to be wrapped in his arms and reassured that everything was going to be all right. Instead, she snuggled into the cold leather couch and shut her eyes, praying for the safe return of her only child.

Not Guilty?
    The courtroom was packed. Camille, her mother, Lily, and Toya sat just behind the defense attorneys and watched as the prosecutor presented case after case against a myriad of defendants. They had arrived early in order to get the best seats, hoping to place themselves in a position to be the first faces Misa saw when she was escorted into the courtroom. They had already been waiting for hours. It seemed that the court was determined to call every case besides Misa’s, and it was hard not to get antsy. As each poor, unfortunate soul was dragged out into open court, the women had watched to see what kind of judge Misa was about to face. So far, he had put bail on every single defendant who had come before him. So they resigned themselves to the fact that it was highly unlikely that Misa would be released on her own recognizance.
    Camille fidgeted slightly in her seat. She wore a red wool crepe Michael Kors dress that used to fit her quite well. Today it felt snugger than usual, but that wasn’t the only reason she shifted uneasily. She was waiting for Frankie to come through the door at any moment. Despite all that he had put her through, Camille still loved her husband and was eager to see his face.
    She had told her mother about her pregnancy on their way to court that afternoon. Lily had been so overcome with emotion that the usually stoic woman had burst into tears. Camille had been unable to tell whether they were happy tears or not. The reality was that Lily was happy for her daughter, but so worried for her, as well. Both of her daughters were in for the fight of their lives, and it would either make or break them. Misa being jailed and Shane being torn from them was enough to send Lily’s blood pressure soaring. Now, Camille would be facing extreme emotional turmoil in the months to come. So much was happening that the timing of Camille’s pregnancy seemed ill-advised. Still, Lily was happy that her eldest daughter was about to become a mother for the first time. It had been a long time coming. Lily hugged Camille, congratulated her and assured her that whether her husband came to his senses or not, she and her baby were going to be just fine.
    Toya sat beside Camille and