18. Everything Changes
Chapter eighteen
Everything Changes
Miko watched the phone ring until it nearly stopped.
At the last second, she answered.
“Hello?”
“Miko, this is Attorney Daniels. I apologize for calling so late.”
Her stomach tightened. “Is something wrong?”
“I received an update on your case this evening. I wanted to speak with you before you heard anything from anyone else.”
Miko sat down slowly. “What happened?”
“The prosecutor is moving forward, and the court has scheduled your final hearing.”
She gripped the phone. The legal situation had been hanging over her for months, but the delays had allowed her to place it in the back of her mind. She continued going to work, paying her bills, and living as if the outcome were still far away.
Now the outcome had found her.
“When is the hearing?” she asked.
“Two weeks from Monday.”
“That soon?”
“Yes.”
Miko stood and began pacing. “What does that mean?”
“It means we need to prepare.”
“For what?”
Attorney Daniels became quiet.
Miko stopped moving. “Prepare for what?”
“The agreement being offered includes one year of incarceration.”
For a moment, Miko couldn’t breathe.
She had known incarceration was possible, but hearing the words made the possibility real.
“One year?”
“That is the current offer.”
“You told me we might be able to avoid that.”
“I told you we would continue working toward the best possible outcome. We presented everything available to us, but the prosecutor is unwilling to remove the custodial portion.”
“So what happens if I don’t accept it?”
“We can continue fighting the case, but that carries additional risk. If the court rules against you, you could receive more time.”
Miko lowered herself onto the couch. “So I don’t really have a choice.”
“You have a choice, but I need you to understand the potential consequences of each option.”
Miko stared at the wall. Just minutes earlier, she had been overwhelmed by Jayson and Meca. She had believed choosing between two relationships was the hardest decision in front of her.
Now she was facing the possibility of losing an entire year of her life.
“Will I have to go that day?” she asked.
“If the judge accepts the agreement and imposes the sentence, it is possible you could be taken into custody immediately. We can request a surrender date, but I cannot promise that the court will grant it.”
Miko’s eyes filled with tears.
“What about my job?”
“You should begin considering your personal and professional arrangements.”
“My apartment?”
“I understand this is a lot to process.”
“You think?”
“Miko, I’m not telling you to give up. I’m telling you to prepare. We’ll meet before the hearing and review everything carefully.”
She wiped her face. “Is there anything else you can do?”
“I will continue advocating for you. But I don’t want to give you false hope.”
False hope.
Miko had been living on it for months.
She had hoped the legal situation would disappear. She had hoped Jayson would return ready to love her properly. She had hoped Meca would remain patient while she figured out what she wanted.
Now every part of her life demanded an answer at the same time.
“I’ll call you tomorrow to schedule our meeting,” Attorney Daniels said.
“Okay.”
“Try to get some rest.”
Miko almost laughed. “I’ll try.”
When the call ended, she placed the phone beside her and sat in silence.
One year.
Twelve months.
Fifty-two weeks.
She thought about everything that could change during that amount of time. Her job could be gone. Her home might not be waiting for her. Her relationships could disappear. The world would continue moving while her life remained confined to one place.
Her phone vibrated.
Jayson had sent a message.
Jayson: I’m sorry about how I left. Call me when you calm down.
Miko stared at it but didn’t respond.
A second message appeared a few minutes later.
Meca: I know things are complicated, but I hope you’re okay.
That message broke something inside her.
Miko pressed Meca’s name and called.
Meca answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
Miko tried to speak, but no words came.
“Miko?”
She covered her mouth as the first sob escaped.
“Miko, what happened?”
“I…” She struggled to catch her breath. “I have to go away.”
“What do you mean?”
“The case.”
Meca became quiet. “What about it?”
“My attorney called. They’re offering one year.”
“One year in jail?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my God.”
Miko began crying harder. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Meca’s voice changed immediately. The distance and frustration between them disappeared. “Take a breath.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Breathe with me.”
Miko closed her eyes.
“Slowly,” Meca said. “In and out.”
Miko followed her instructions until her breathing steadied.
“Are you alone?” Meca asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m coming over.”
“You said you had plans.”
“They’re over.”
“Meca—”
“I’m coming. Unlock the door.”
The call ended before Miko could argue.
Less than thirty minutes later, Meca knocked. Miko opened the door, and Meca immediately pulled her into an embrace.
Miko held on to her.
There were no questions about Jayson and no demands for clarity. For that moment, none of it mattered.
Meca guided her to the couch and sat beside her. “Tell me exactly what your attorney said.”
Miko repeated the conversation as best she could. She explained the agreement, the risk of fighting the case, and the possibility that she could be taken into custody at the final hearing.
Meca listened without interrupting.
When Miko finished, she looked down at her hands. “I’m going to lose everything.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I could lose my job.”
“That’s possible.”
“My apartment.”
“We’ll figure out what arrangements you can make.”
“And everybody in my life.”
Meca looked at her. “You’re not going to lose everybody.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No, I don’t. But you don’t know that you will either.”
Miko wiped her face. “A year is a long time.”
“It is.”
“You could move on.”
Meca didn’t answer immediately.
Miko looked at her. “See?”
“I’m not going to make promises tonight just because you’re scared.”
The response hurt, but Miko understood it.
Meca continued, “What I can promise is that you won’t face the next two weeks alone.”
Miko lowered her head. “I don’t deserve you.”
“This isn’t about what you deserve.”
“I’ve been unfair to you.”
“Yes, you have.”
Miko looked up, surprised by her honesty.
Meca gave her a small smile. “You know I’m not going to lie to make you feel better.”
“I know.”
“But this is bigger than our relationship right now. You need to focus on your case and prepare for what could happen.”
“What if I can’t do a year?”
“You can survive a year.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re stronger than you feel tonight.”
Miko leaned against her shoulder.
For the first time since the attorney’s call, she felt as if she could breathe.
They remained on the couch for nearly an hour. Meca helped Miko write down the questions she needed to ask her attorney. They discussed her job, bills, apartment, and the personal belongings she might need someone to protect.
The conversation was practical because Meca understood that fear became more manageable when it had a plan.
“What about Jayson?” Meca eventually asked.
Miko looked at her. “What about him?”
“Are you going to tell him?”
“I have to.”
Meca nodded.
“You don’t have to leave,” Miko said.
“I know.”
“I mean when I call him.”
Meca looked toward the clock. “That’s a conversation you should have with him privately.”
Miko felt the old tension returning. “Are we back to this again?”
“Miko, the situation changed. That doesn’t mean everything between us disappeared.”
“I know.”
“I came because you needed me.”
“And I appreciate it.”
“But you still need to talk to Jayson.”
Miko nodded slowly.
Meca stood and reached for her purse. “Call me after you speak with your attorney tomorrow.”
“You’re leaving?”
“You need rest.”
“I don’t want to be alone.”
Meca studied her face before sitting back down. “Okay.”
Miko rested her head against Meca’s shoulder again.
Meca stayed until she fell asleep.
The next morning, Miko woke on the couch covered with a blanket. Meca was gone, but a note rested on the coffee table.
You are not your worst moment.Call me when you wake up.—Meca
Miko held the note against her chest.
Later that morning, she called Jayson.
He answered with his usual confidence. “You ready to apologize?”
Miko closed her eyes. “Jayson, I need to tell you something.”
He heard the seriousness in her voice. “What happened?”
“My attorney called last night.”
“What did he say?”
“The case is moving forward.”
Jayson became quiet. “How bad is it?”
“They’re offering one year.”
“One year?”
“Yes.”
“Can’t your attorney fight it?”
“He can, but I could get more time if we lose.”
Jayson exhaled. “Damn.”
Miko waited for him to say something else.
“What are you going to do?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
“When is the hearing?”
“Two weeks from Monday.”
“That’s fast.”
“I know.”
Jayson became quiet again.
Miko could hear voices and clippers in the background of the barbershop.
“I have to finish with a customer,” he finally said. “Can I call you back?”
Miko’s heart sank. “Yes.”
“I’m going to call you.”
“Okay.”
The call ended.
Miko stared at the screen.
Meca had canceled her plans, driven to Miko’s home, helped her organize questions, and stayed until she fell asleep.
Jayson had listened for less than five minutes before returning to work.
Miko reminded herself that he was at the barbershop and couldn’t abandon a customer in the middle of a haircut. She tried to be reasonable.
Still, the difference was impossible to ignore.
By the end of the day, Jayson had not called back.
Meca called twice.
For the first time, Miko wasn’t thinking about which person she wanted.
She was thinking about who would remain when wanting her became inconvenient.
The legal case had changed everything.
It had turned time into something Miko could no longer waste, promises into something she could no longer accept without proof, and relationships into something that would soon be tested by distance.
In two weeks, a judge could take away her freedom.
And Miko was beginning to realize that incarceration wouldn’t only reveal who loved her.
It would reveal who was willing to demonstrate it.