Chapter 36
The Weight of It
Gavin
Mitchell Brennan moved closer to the witness stand, his expression one of practiced sympathy. "Ms. Walsh, can you tell the court about your concerns regarding your daughter's wellbeing?"
Rebecca took a breath, hands folded in her lap. Behind me sat the Doyle family, two rows deep. Andi in front with her parents, the rest of her family filling the benches behind them. I wished I could turn for reassurance, but I knew it wouldn’t help.
I sat at the counsel table with Victor, the wooden bar between me and Andi like a border. Whatever Rebecca said next, I'd have to face it alone—unable to reach for the woman I loved, to comfort her, to remind her I knew the truth.
"Of course," Rebecca said. "Charisse is at a vulnerable age.
She's only ten, and she's still processing the divorce.
When Gavin told me he was seeing someone, I was happy for him.
I want him to be happy. But within just a week or so of telling me about her, he'd already introduced Charisse to this woman, and then to an entire extended family. It felt... rushed."
"Can you elaborate on what you mean by 'rushed'?"
Charisse came home and told me she'd met Andi, Gavin's girlfriend. Then she mentioned she'd already known Andi from her basketball games for six months. I hadn't been informed about any of this—this relationship was being introduced to my daughter without my knowledge.
"Then she tells me she's already spending time with Andi's niece Sammy, and going to Sunday dinners with Andi's parents, and all these new people she was expected to get to know and spend time with." Rebecca's voice wavered slightly. "It was overwhelming for her, and it was very evident to me."
My jaw clenched. That wasn't what happened. Charisse had been excited about meeting Sammy, thrilled about the Doyle family dinners.
"Did Charisse express to you that she felt overwhelmed?" Mitchell asked.
"Not in so many words. She's a good girl; she doesn't want to disappoint her father. But I could tell." Rebecca looked directly at the judge. "She's my daughter. I know when something's bothering her."
"And what did you observe?"
"She became quieter. More withdrawn when she'd come over. She'd ask me questions about whether I was going to start dating someone too, whether she'd have to meet new people on my side as well when I'd only just ended my relationship with David. She was anxious."
I leaned toward Victor and whispered, "That's not true. She wasn't anxious; she was excited."
Victor nodded slightly but kept his eyes on Rebecca. "Let her talk. We'll get our turn."
Mitchell continued. "Ms. Walsh, you mentioned that Mr. Byrne introduced Charisse to Ms. Doyle's extended family. Can you describe your concerns about that?"
Rebecca's voice hardened. "I don't know these people," she said. "Gavin never told me who they were or asked if I approved. My daughter spends time with complete strangers, and I have no way to know if they’re good people... or even if they're safe."
In the gallery, I heard a sharp intake of breath, probably Patty. I didn't dare turn around.
"Did you ask Mr. Byrne about these concerns?"
"I tried. But every time I brought it up, he got defensive. He accused me of trying to control his life, of interfering. I wasn't trying to interfere; I was trying to protect our daughter."
Mitchell walked back toward the witness stand. "Ms. Walsh, beyond your concerns about the speed of this relationship and the introduction of Charisse to strangers, have you had any other interactions with Ms. Doyle that concerned you?"
Rebecca's expression shifted, her composure visibly cracking. Her hands gripped the armrests of the witness chair, knuckles white. "Yes." Her voice came out smaller than before. "I've been very concerned about her behavior toward me."
"Can you elaborate?"
Rebecca's face dropped, and her breathing hitched. She pressed a trembling hand to her chest. "This is so hard to talk about. I..." She took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry."
"Take your time, Ms. Walsh. I understand how difficult this must be for you."
She nodded, blinking rapidly as if fighting back tears. When she spoke again, her voice was barely above a whisper. "She's been... showing up. Places where I am. Following me." Her hands twisted together in her lap. "It feels deliberate. Planned. Like she's watching me."
Mitchell's expression was grave. "When did this start?"
"The first time, I thought it was just an awful coincidence." Rebecca's voice wavered. "I was at Copley Place, the mall. Just trying to do some shopping, clear my head. And I saw her walk into the same store I was in. Just standing there. Staring at me."
She wrapped her arms around herself, a gesture of self-protection. "I felt so uncomfortable, so exposed. I just left everything I was looking at right there at the checkout and walked out. Didn't even buy anything. I just needed to get away from her."
"Can you recall the date and time?"
"Absolutely. It was the seventeenth of last month, maybe around three in the afternoon."
"Did the incidents continue?"
Rebecca nodded, moisture gathering in her eyes.
"Yes. A week later, maybe two, I was having dinner with a friend at Mamma Maria's.
Trying to have one normal evening, you know?
And she walked in. Came right into the restaurant.
" Her voice broke slightly. "She saw me and just..
. stared. This cold, hard stare. My friend noticed.
Asked me what was wrong. I told her that we needed to leave. I was so embarrassed."
Mitchell gave a slow, grave nod. "And then there was the grocery store."
"Yes." Rebecca's composure was fracturing again. She wiped at her eyes with shaking hands. "The worst one was at the grocery store. Stop and Shop in South Boston. I was there picking up dinner."
Her voice dropped even lower, and Judge Weston leaned forward slightly to hear.
"I was doing my shopping, just trying to get through my list quickly.
I turned into the pasta aisle; I needed jar sauce, and there she was.
Just standing there in the middle of the aisle.
Not shopping. Not looking at anything. Just.. . standing there. Waiting."
Rebecca's hands twisted the tissue in her lap.
"She was staring right at me. Like she'd been waiting for me to come around the corner.
I froze. My heart started racing. I thought maybe if I just went to a different aisle, got what I needed somewhere else, I could avoid her.
But when I tried to back out, she stepped forward. Blocked my path."
My entire body went tense. This was a complete fabrication.
Behind me in the gallery, I heard a sharp intake of breath, Andi.
I wanted desperately to turn around, to look at her, to somehow communicate that I knew this was all lies.
But I couldn't. Not during testimony. I had to sit here and listen while Rebecca tried to destroy her.
"What happened?" Mitchell asked gently.
Rebecca's breathing became more rapid. "She just kept staring at me.
Wouldn't move. Wouldn't look away. I tried to speak calmly.
I said, 'Excuse me, I need to get by.' But she didn't move.
Just stared. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.
I asked her to please leave me alone. That she was scaring me. "
"And how did Ms. Doyle respond?"
Rebecca's face crumpled. Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "She leaned in very close and said, 'You should be careful, Rebecca.' That was all." Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "She didn't need to say more. The way she said it, I understood exactly what she meant."
The courtroom went completely silent.
Rebecca's shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. "I was frightened. I genuinely didn't know what she might do. How could I stand it? There I was, just trying to shop, and the woman my daughter spends time with had just threatened me."
Mitchell let the moment breathe, letting the image of a terrified mother sink into everyone's minds. "Did you report this to anyone?"
"I wanted to." Rebecca's voice was thick with emotion.
"But I was afraid. Afraid it would make things worse.
Afraid she'd take it out on Charisse somehow.
She has access to my daughter, and I..." A sob escaped.
"I did manage to take a quick photo. Just to prove it happened. Though now I wish I'd taken a video."
"Your Honor, I'd like to submit petitioner's exhibit four, a photograph taken by Ms. Walsh during the Stop and Shop encounter."
Victor glanced at it, then at me. His expression didn't change, but I saw something shift behind his eyes.
"The court will accept it," Judge Weston said.
"Ms. Walsh, can you describe what this photograph shows?"
"That's her. In the aisle. Just standing there, staring at me. I took it because I knew no one would believe me. I knew how it would look, me coming forward with nothing." She pressed her lips together. "I needed proof."
"And this was taken during the encounter you just described?"
"Yes. Right before she said what she said to me."
She looked directly at Judge Weston, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm not trying to take Charisse away from her father.
I would never do that. But I can't keep sending my daughter into a situation where this woman has access to her.
Not when I'm this frightened. Not when I don't know what she's capable of. "
Rebecca couldn't continue. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.
Behind me, I heard shocked murmurs from the gallery. Patty's sharp intake of breath. Someone, maybe Tom, muttering "Jesus Christ." And Andi, I could hear her breathing change, rapid and shallow. I gripped the edge of the table, forcing myself not to turn around.