Epilogue
Nina
Founding
Judicial Center
Two Years Later
As she predicted, it took a scandal to motivate the governor into action against Mayor Kelley.
The story broke in the Founding Chronicle .
It was quickly picked up by smaller papers and gained momentum.
The story could not be contained, and Mayor Kelley was no longer able to intimidate the local newspaper into ignoring it.
Soon, the tale of his corruption was on the front page in Sweetwater Point.
Then and only then did the governor remove Kelley from office and place him under arrest.
It was glorious. Kelley being dragged out of town hall by federal agents was forever immortalized on the front page of every newspaper on Nexus.
The illustration took some liberties—the former mayor was not quite so round, he did not wail like an infant, nor did he cling to the railings on the town hall’s front steps.
Despite these irregularities, it remained true to the spirit of the situation.
Vengeance came quickly. The legal path to justice was not as swift.
It was strange giving her testimony at the hearing. Events occurred more than a year ago and felt so distant, like they happened to another person. When the day of sentencing had finally arrived, she was ready to close the chapter.
Former Mayor Kelley was sentenced to fourteen years and barred from public office in the future.
She took satisfaction in knowing that Kelley would be quite elderly when he was finally released.
All his cronies were facing a sentence of their own or would have moved on.
He’d have no connections. No influence. No power.
Nina took immense satisfaction in that.
Pierre had done an excellent job cleaning out the department. Anyone who had a whiff of Kelley’s stink was gone. New recruits meant more time training, long hours, and holding hands until the new deputies weren’t so green, but it was worth it to know she could trust every soul in her employ.
“Take my hand.” Anthony rushed ahead of her on the steps and held out his hand.
“I can walk.” Awkwardly. She had another month before delivery and should be in her confinement. Unfortunately, justice was both slow and did not care for a pregnant woman’s comfort.
“The steps are slick.”
With a dramatic sigh, she took his hand. The steps were slick with rain but she was perfectly capable of using the handrail to avoid tumbling down the short flight of steps.
“Ready to go home?” he asked.
“Let’s stop for a drink before the train.” The courthouse had been uncomfortably warm.
Two years of married life had been a learning experience for them both.
Having their own residence was the right call.
She didn’t need her parents hearing every squabble.
They were both hard-headed and set in their ways.
She didn’t turn the cup upside down in the cabinet, allowing dust to collect inside the vessel.
He did not rinse off his dishes when done with a meal, leaving the remaining bits to harden into an impossible -to -scrub -off layer.
He liked things orderly and precise— excluding the dishes, apparently.
Nina used all her order and precision at work and had none to spare for the house.
They could not agree on the color of paint for the parlor or the bedroom.
He did not care for potatoes, which was unnatural.
She could not stand fish. In addition to the pungent aroma, it felt wrong to consume his kin.
She certainly did not want her parents to overhear them when they reunited after an argument.
Growing accustomed to his new appearance was also a trying experience for Anthony.
He could not help but garner attention when he went out in public.
People stared. At first, he would snap and confront people for being rude, but it led to trouble and a scrap or two.
The sheriff couldn’t let her spouse get away with being a public menace and starting brawls.
He had to learn to tolerate the curious stares.
In the end, their differences were minimal. They laughed more than they argued. Yes, Pearson laughed. They agreed on the important issues.
Except for the child’s name.
They both agreed on Lucas for a boy. The girl was the trouble.
Anthony suggested Rita, after the boat where they shared their first kiss. It was sweet and romantic, but the boat had exploded. She did not like what that implied about their daughter.
“I’ve been thinking of names,” she said.
“Not convinced by Clementia?”
“No. Be serious.” She pointed to a vendor selling fruit ice. “Those look wonderful. I’ll take strawberry if they have it.”
“No cherry,” he said, because that was another point they disagreed on. Cherries were too sour and she did not see the point of them. Strawberries were superior.
She sat at a nearby table while he placed their orders. Feelings of queasiness and nausea had plagued her throughout her pregnancy. Anthony was more than happy to fetch anything that sounded appetizing and right now bits of cold frozen strawberry sounded like the best thing in the world.
A few people passing by looked surprised at Anthony’s appearance. It wasn’t every day you encountered a man with fins and gills walking the street. No one said anything, which was good. Nina wasn’t in the mood for people’s nonsense today.
She happily accepted the ice when he returned. The first bite was wonderful as she suspected. “I’ve been thinking about names, and I’m embarrassed to admit it’s taken them this long to think of Lucia.”
“Lucia,” he repeated.
“It’s a good name.” Much better than previous suggestions of Charity, Grace, or Eliza. All perfectly fine but a bit dull.
“It’s a great name.” He gently tipped his ice against hers. “To Lucia or Lucas.”
The last two years felt like a dream, a beautiful fever dream, and she couldn’t wait to discover what came next.