Bridget called often, repeatedly, apologizing for the nightmare her wedding reception had become, though I kept assuring her it wasn’t her fault. Extended family members reached out, their responses split predictably down familiar lines. Some, particularly my mother’s sisters, insisted I was overreacting and destroying the family by pressing charges.
Others, including my father’s brother and several cousins, expressed relief that someone had finally held them accountable for behavior that had gone unchecked for decades. The weeks leading up to the trial brought unexpected revelations. Information Daniel helped gather, working closely with the DA’s investigators, uncovered documentation I’d never known existed.
