Page 62 of Certified Pressure 3
When the judge turned her attention to my mother, I already knew it was about to go left. My mama sat at the other table, her arms folded, looking bitter and irritated like she didn’t even want to be here. She had been quiet for most of the hearing, but as soon as the judge mentioned her name, she started shaking her head.
“Mrs. Monroe,” the judge said, “do you have anything you’d like to say before I make my decision?”
Marlene stood, her voice rising before she even opened her mouth all the way. “Yeah, I got something to say. My daughter over there is a thief. She stole my child. She stole my life. That baby belongs with me, not her.”
The courtroom fell silent. I could feel the eyes on me, but I kept my chin up and refused to look away from the judge.
“Mrs. Monroe,” the judge warned, “please keep your comments respectful and brief.”
Marlene ignored her completely. “You don’t know what you’re doing, Your Honor. God don’t like ugly, and He gonnastrike her down for this. She think she better than me just because she got help from them rich people. She’ll pay for this. I promise you that.”
Ms. Benton glanced at me and whispered for me not to say anything. I stayed still, even when my hands started shaking.
The judge’s voice came out sharper this time. “That’s enough, Mrs. Monroe. If you continue to interrupt these proceedings, I will have you removed from the courtroom.”
But she kept going. “She is dead to me. You hear me, Pluto? Dead. You ain’t my daughter. You never were.”
That one cut deep. It didn’t matter how much I tried to prepare myself for it, hearing her say those words out loud and in front of everybody hurt. I wanted to scream, but instead I closed my eyes for a moment and took a breath. I had to remind myself why I was here. This wasn’t about her. This was about Zurie.
The judge tapped her pen against the bench and looked down at the papers again. The whole courtroom was quiet except for the sound of pages turning. When she finally spoke, her tone softened.
“After reviewing the evidence and testimony presented to this court,” she began, “it’s clear that Ms. Monroe has demonstrated consistent care, financial responsibility, and emotional commitment to her sister, Zurie Monroe. Based on the circumstances, the court finds it in the best interest of the child to grant Ms. Monroe full legal and physical custody.”
I froze. For a second, I didn’t even know how to react. My ears were ringing, and all I could do was stare at her lips moving, trying to process what she had just said.
The judge kept talking, explaining the terms of custody, the paperwork, and the next steps, but it all faded into the background. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. My kneesfelt weak, and I had to grab the edge of the table to keep from losing my balance.
Ms. Benton placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and whispered, “You did it.”
I turned to her and hugged her tight, barely able to get the words out. “Thank you,” I said through the tears. “Thank you so much for everything.”
She smiled and squeezed my hand. “You earned this. You’ve been fighting for her all this time. This is what you deserve.”
My mama was still mumbling under her breath, cursing and talking about how God would punish me, but I didn’t even hear her anymore. My mind was somewhere else. I could only think about Zurie, and about what it would feel like to walk into the house and tell her she was finally mine for good.
When the bailiff announced that court was adjourned, I wiped my face and stood tall. Uncle Lionel was waiting near the back, his eyes full of pride. As soon as I stepped away from the table, he came to me and pulled me into a hug.
“You did it, baby girl,” he said softly. “You did what nobody else could.”
I nodded against his chest, my tears soaking into his shirt. The walk out of that courtroom felt slow and surreal. My mama was still yelling something behind us, but the bailiff was already guiding her out another door. I didn’t even turn around to look at her.
When we stepped outside the courthouse, the sunlight hit my face and it felt like I could finally breathe again. I turned to Ms. Benton and hugged her again, tighter this time. “Thank you for everything,” I said. “I don’t even know how to repay you.”
She smiled and shook her head. “Just go take care of that little girl. That’s payment enough.”
The words hit me hard, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore. The tears came again, harder this time. Uncle Lionel wrappedhis arm around me to keep me from falling. I cried into his chest, everything I had been holding in finally pouring out.
He rubbed my back, whispering, “It’s alright now. You got her. It’s over.”
After a while, I pulled myself together and followed him to the car. The courthouse was behind me now, but the weight I had been carrying for so long was finally gone.
As we drove off, I looked out the window, watching the city blur past. My heart was racing, but it was a good kind of fast. I was on my way to tell Zurie the news. My baby sister was finally safe, and she was finally mine.
And this time, nobody could take her away.
Later that night, me, Zurie, Aunt Deanne, and Uncle Lionel went to dinner to celebrate. It felt unreal sitting there with them, knowing that after everything I had been through, the court finally made it official. Zurie was mine now, not just in my heart but on paper too. I couldn’t stop smiling even though my face felt tired from doing it all day. The restaurant lights were soft and warm, and the smell of food made the whole place feel homey. For once, everything felt right.
Uncle Lionel ordered his steak, and Aunt Deanne had a glass of wine sitting next to her plate while she kept talking about how proud she was of me. She kept saying how she knew from the beginning that I wouldn’t give up on Zurie. I laughed when she started telling stories about how I used to boss everybody around when I was little, saying that maybe this whole thing was meant to happen because I was always the one looking after people anyway.
