The palms of my hands were sweating as I continuously rubbed them against my pant leg. I took a deep breath as I stared at my reflection in the mirror from inside a bathroom I wasn't entirely familiar with. I leaned my palms against the counter, leaning forward. My palm was now completely healed after the last few stitches finally dissolved.

It's been a few days since the eventful morning with Nora, and my bruised knuckles weren't as noticeable as before. Wrapping them up really helped the healing process. The only thing visible now were a few scabs that formed after the cuts stopped bleeding. The bruises faded and I could actually move my fingers now.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I gently rolled my shoulders. "You got this, Dakota."

I whispered to myself as my eyes traveled down my appearance through the mirror. I was wearing a fancy blouse, a cream color to go with my black dress pants. I could feel the back of my feet already forming blisters as my heels dug deeper into my skin. On the outside, I looked put together, but on the inside, I was completely freaking out.

My naturally blonde hair fell in waves in front of my shoulders. My long hair covered my collarbone as the length rested just below my chest. My makeup was light, only wearing mascara and blush to give a more natural look. I didn't want to look too professional, but I needed to make a good impression for the judge. He knew I was taking care of my siblings for the time being, so I knew I had to look put together.

I shook my head as I turned away from the frightened gaze that stared at me through the mirror. My hands lightly shook at my sides as nerves had finally got the best of me.

My heels clicked against the tile floor as I gingerly pushed open the bathroom door to reveal everyone standing, waiting for me to come out.

My eyes darted around to see Karson, Colton, Braxton and my siblings all dressed nicely as I finally walked up to them. The boys wore a nice shirt and dress pants that made them look put together, but still like a teenager at the same time. At the end of the day, we were just teenagers.

My little sister wore a dress that I found hidden in her closet only a few days ago. I knew putting her in a dress would be fine since she was only five, so who cares? This whole situation stressed me out, because I was a teenager going to my mother's court hearing and I still didn't know entirely what to do.

Dawson texted me yesterday, giving me all the required details to let me know how today was going to go down. He kept reassuring me, telling me that he would be seated next to me, so I didn't have to worry about anything. All this was, was a court hearing to see how much time my mother would spend in jail. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Are you ready?" Karson asked as he was the first one to step in front of me. He knew how much I was freaking out, because last time I saw my mother, she attacked me. "It's going to be okay, I promise. I'll be right behind you the entire time and you don't have to worry about her trying to hurt you. She'll be handcuffed and there will be security guards surrounding the courtroom."

I took a deep breath as I nodded my head. I honestly don't know what I would've done if they weren't here with us. My siblings and I really didn't want to be alone. It was nice to have a shoulder to lean on, even for my siblings. Olivia was already holding onto Colton's hand for safety as her frightened gaze moved around the building.

Although we were dressed nicely, it didn't compare to the people around us. Lawyers, I assumed, walked by us dressed in expensive suits or expensive dresses. There was a mix of security guards, lawyers, and anyone else who worked here at the courthouse.

Luckily, the bathroom was right next to our courtroom we would be at, so we all stood by each other as we waited for the time to arrive. Dawson told me to wait outside the courtroom before we officially go inside so he can give us a rundown on what we will see in the room.

Everyone stayed silent for most of the time, not really knowing what to say. I fiddled with the hem of my blouse as nerves hit me full force when it fully sunk in that this was really happening. I released a shaky breath when my eyes traveled across the hall to see Dawson wearing a suit as he slowly walked towards us.

His eyes met mine as he gave me a reassuring smile. When he finally made his way over to our group, he stopped in front of my siblings and I while the boys slightly stepped out of his way. They were trying to give us some privacy, even though I was okay with them hearing what Dawson was going to tell us.

"How are y'all doing?" Dawson carefully asked as he shook Jace's hand beside me. He gave his full attention to me a few moments later before he wrapped his arms around my shoulders to give me a polite hug. I returned the favor, feeling grateful that he was here to help my siblings and I.

"I'm okay, just nervous," I briefly stated as we pulled away from each other.

"And that's totally understandable," Dawson agreed as his voice sounded professional, yet gentle. His eyes quickly flickered down to see the little girl who was standing in between my legs. Liv moved closer to Jace and I when she saw Dawson come over. She was scared.

"Liv, say hi," I whispered as I gently poked Olivia. Her bright smile was on display as she quickly tilted her head up to see Dawson looking at her.

"This must be Olivia," he smiled, his voice light as he gently took her hand in his. He gently shook her hand as her breathless giggles filled the courthouse.

"I'm their sister!" She beamed as she pointed between Jace and I. I heard Jace snort from beside me as it looked like Dawson was trying to bite back a laugh that threatened to slip through.

"I know," Dawson chuckled as he stood up straight. "I've heard a lot about you."

She slightly gasped as she turned around to look at me. I put my hands up in surrender as I fought back the smile that tried crawling onto my lips. "They were good things, Liv, I promise."

Dawson chuckled as he lightly shook his head. Olivia turned back around as we watched Dawson slowly make his way towards Karson, Braxton, and Colton.

The three boys' posture immediately straightened up, causing me to laugh as I brought a hand up to my mouth to try and cover the noise that came out. Braxton threw me a side glare as they all introduced each other.

We all ended up talking amongst ourselves until Dawson told us that it was time to head inside the courtroom. The boys easily fell into a good conversation as Olivia and I mainly stayed quiet, only speaking up every once and a while.

Only a few moments later, Dawson briefly glanced at his watch as it caused all of our chatter to die down. He turned his head to look at me, giving me a slight nod before I sucked in a sharp breath.

Dawson cleared his throat. "It's time to head inside. You three boys will sit behind us, on the front row. Dakota, Olivia, and Jace? You three will follow me and we'll go to the front of the courtroom to sit at the table that is in front of the judge. Just letting y'all know, your mother will also be sitting at a table in front of the judge, but they are spaced apart."

We all nodded our heads because we somewhat knew how the courtroom would look. I've seen enough law shows to know how everything was positioned. The judge was in the front while the defendants table and plaintiffs table were on either sides of the swinging door.

"Now, this probably won't take long because it isn't like a murder case. We already know she will be sent to jail, so the judge will only have to decide for how long. We don't have to deal with the witness stand and there won't be anyone in the jury box. It's very simple. You guys don't even have to talk to her, you will just sit there and listen to what the judge sentences her," Dawson explained as my heart began to hammer in my chest. "It will be in and out."

"Okay, I'm ready," I nodded my head as I tried to give everyone around me a reassuring smile. If they knew I was worried, they would worry. I didn't want them to worry about me.

I let my eyes wander around the group of people until they connected with a beautiful pair of green eyes. They held a glint of uncertainty as he watched the fake smile crawl onto my face. He gave me a small thumbs just below his chest, only visible for me to see. I choked back a laugh as I gently shook my head to myself.

"Let's head on in, then," Dawson grumbled as he turned on his heel and opened the courtroom door. I immediately felt tremors shoot down my legs, feeling weak as my eyes looked around the courtroom.

The judge was already seated on the judge's bench as he flicked through a stack of paper that was scattered around his desk. He never glanced up at us as he continued to pull out a driver's license, probably my mother's.

My eyes continued to travel around the room until my eyes landed on the two tables in front of the judge. Dawson led us through the aisle, only a few people seated in the benches that were specifically for the public. I let my eyes trail across the front of the room, not seeing my mother occupying one of the tables. She wasn't here yet.

We all continued to follow after Dawson as I held Olivia's hand to make sure she was safe beside me. Jace was on the other side of Dawson and the three boys were giving us space as they stood a few inches behind us.

We finally made it to the front of the room as Dawson gently pushed on the swinging door, letting my siblings and I follow him. I felt the presence of the three boys behind us disappear as I quickly glanced behind me to see them slowly sitting down in the public seating area, on the very first row, right behind us.

Dawson guided us to one of the tables as I released Olivia's hand and let her go down to the furthest end of the table before she sat down in the chair. There were four chairs for us, so Jace took the seat next to Olivia while I took the seat next to Jace. Dawson briefly patted his suit down before he took the last seat next to me, closest to the swinging door.

My leg anxiously bounced up and down under the table as I finally glanced at the judge. He wore small-rimmed glasses that were resting against his nose as his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He continued to flick through the stack of papers, probably my mother's criminal record, with his wrinkled fingers.

The judge was an older man who was probably in his late sixties. He was practically bald, only a few white hairs visible on the sides of his head. He had a permanent frown on his cracked lips as his eyes scanned through my mother's documents.

I quickly averted my eyes as my head turned to my left to glance at my siblings. Jace was staring straight ahead while his fists were clenched tightly in his lap. Olivia was seated close to Jace as she looked down and started fiddling with the hem of her dress. I could hear my pulse pound in my ears as we all anxiously waited for our mother.

I could hear light chatter behind me, mainly coming from the three boys that came with us today. I didn't dare turn around because I knew I would be even more nervous seeing their concerned faces.

I briefly closed my eyes, squeezing them shut as I tried to focus on my breathing. I didn't know why I was so nervous, because deep down I knew that if my mother tried anything, the security guards surrounding the courtroom would quickly jump in.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I let my gaze travel to the judges bench. The judge was still scanning through the papers he held in his hands before the courtroom doors shot open.

I felt my body go rigid as the inside of my mouth went dry. I felt my toes curl inside of heels, my anxiety getting the best of me as I heard a women's protest. I immediately knew that my mother had just walked in because the judge finally took time to stop concentrating on the files to look up.

I let myself glance behind my shoulder, my eyes immediately meeting the dull, blue eyes that I knew too well. She kept her bloodshot eyes on me while I averted my gaze to study her appearance.

There were two guards on either side of her, holding her in place so she wouldn't run out. I briefly looked behind her to see an attorney walking slowly behind them who looked at my mother with disgust. Everyone in this room probably knew how insane she was and that she could lash out at any moment. A small shiver traveled down my spine as I stared at her hollow cheekbones.

It looked like she had already lost so much weight, her body more frail and thin than ever before. Her cracked lips and lifeless eyes told everyone she wasn't doing well. She was no longer only mentally ill, she was physically ill as well. It was probably due to the lack of drugs. She was so addicted to drugs that her body didn't know how to function without them. It was sad.

My eyes trailed down her body as the security guards led her towards the swinging doors. The public seated in the benches behind us went silent when they watched the judges eyes watch her every move. She was wearing a prison jumpsuit, a light blue color with no collar around the neck.

Her hands were encased by a pair of handcuffs as her fists clenched tightly together. You could tell how long those handcuffs were on just based on the indention in her wrists. She probably wasn't allowed to be without handcuffs due to what she did to me at the police station.

My tense muscles were aching as I finally broke eye contact to allow myself to face the judge once again. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of how much she truly scared me. I kept my head held high as I watched the judge stare down my mother before she finally sat down at the opposite table.

That woman who walked through those doors was almost unrecognizable. She wasn't the mother I once loved, she was a complete stranger. She was a stranger who dragged me through hell and called it love.

"Alright, let's get this started," the judge mumbled as his emotionless eyes traveled back and forth between the table I was sitting at and the table our mother was seated at. She had one of the security guards sitting next to her to make sure she stayed in check while the attorney was on the other side of her, closest to the swinging door.

I glanced sideways and connected my eyes with Dawson beside me. He gave me a discreet nod as his eyes moved behind me to briefly check on my siblings. We were okay. My mother would be locked up in jail and we would finally be okay.

"Lillian Anderson is here today for the following convictions, possession of drugs and driving under the influence," the judge began as nerves began to course through my veins. "With what I've seen before, she has had quite the criminal record. While looking through her record, it seems that she has also been convicted of shoplifting and battery on a minor."

I sucked in a sharp breath when he mentioned battery on a minor. I knew that was coming, but I still wasn't fully prepared to hear those words out-loud. It was surreal. I knew about the shoplifting, but it happened last year and it was brushed off when they realized it was only underwear she stole. She spent a few nights in jail, but other than that, she was let go.

"To my right, we have Lillian Anderson's children accompanied by officer Chris Dawson. Attorney Angela Jackson has been paired up with Mrs. Anderson as we go through her consequences," the judge explained as his eyes traveled along the words that were printed in the paper in front of him. "This shouldn't take long, seeing that we are only here to discuss how much time Mrs. Anderson will spend in prison."

I watched as the judge lightly nodded his head at my mother's attorney as all three of them stood up. The security guard held my mother's bicep as the attorney stood at the stand that was slightly in front of the judges bench. The security guard basically had to drag my mother out of her seat as they stopped next to each other in a line, all standing behind the small stand.

I heard my mother grunt in protest as she fought against her constraints. I gingerly watched the security guard roughly grab her arm to keep still. She was insane. She couldn't even keep still for more than two minutes. She would either try and stray away from the security guard or roughly try to rip her hands out of her handcuffs.

"Settle down Mrs. Anderson," the judge sternly said as his eyes narrowed at my mother.

I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment for my mother. Everyone in this room knew that my siblings and I had to deal with her for our entire life. It was pathetic. It was pathetic thinking that her children had to deal with her bullshit at such a young age.

"Seeing as though you were in possession of 100 grams of crystal meth and driving under the influence when a few officers stopped you at October 24 at 11:39pm, that automatically leaves you with ten years in federal prison," the judge's voice was blunt, almost sounding as if he was bored with this case as his eyes finally looked up to glance at my mother.

"This is outrageous!" My mother roared as her voice sounded hoarse. I internally cringed at my mother's outburst as I quickly looked at my younger siblings. Jace's face was quite pale as he kept his eyes on our mother, while Liv held her small hands against her ears, trying to block out our mother's voice.

"Enough," the judge snapped as his eyes bore into my mother's. His eyes held a glint of annoyance as they traveled between my mothers attorney and security guard. I don't even know how she got the attorney in the first place.

"I'm sorry, your honor," the attorney cut in, her voice sharp and professional as she kept her eyes on the judge the entire time. I could tell that she wanted to be here as much as we did. I wouldn't want to defend my mother either.

"With a class A misdemeanor in battery, you will be fined $4,000 along with spending another two years in jail. I see that you have had some struggles with drug addiction, so you will be put in a rehabilitation center when I think you are ready. When your time in prison ends, you will be released on parole for a while," he explained in a clipped voice as I sucked in a sharp breath. $4,000 fine?

I sat silently the remaining time, tuning out whatever the judge or my mother had to say. I could only hear the dull throb that was pounding in my head. I subconsciously reached for the stitches in my palm, but stopped when I realized they were completely healed. I huffed, keeping my eyes down as I heard faded voices in front of me. I couldn't focus on anything they were saying.

It felt like hours had passed, when in reality it was probably only 20 minutes when I finally decided to fully process what they were saying as they finally wrapped everything up. My mother and the two others were still standing near the front as I watched the attorney shift uncomfortably on her feet.

"With this being said, if you violate these terms and conditions, you will be sentenced for a longer time in federal prison. If no one has any further questions," the judge paused for a brief second to let anyone who had any questions speak up. No one dared to say anything. "My court is dismissed."