The Hearing

The modification hearing lasted four hours.

Drake's attorney presented their case: that Liza had been the aggressor, that she had initiated contact through the private investigator, that the restraining order was being used as a weapon rather than a shield. They played recordings — the PI, who had been in areas Drake frequented — and they called witnesses: a neighbor who said she'd seen Liza's car in places that seemed targeted, a coworker who'd noted unusual interest in Drake's schedule.

Liza listened from the plaintiff's table. She did not react. She had learned this: the silence was a tool, and it worked better than anything she could say.

Aaron cross-examined their witnesses. He asked about timelines and motivations and whether anyone had actually seen her approach Drake or initiate contact beyond the legal hiring of a licensed investigator. He established that the "targeted" behavior was consistent with standard documentation — the investigator doing the job she'd paid him to do.

The judge asked questions. The judge took notes.

At four-thirty, the judge ruled.

The modification was denied. The restraining order remained in effect as originally issued. Additionally, the judge found that Drake's behavior — the letter about Aaron, the photograph, the pattern of contact through intermediaries — constituted ongoing harassment and ordered that the restraining order be extended for an additional twelve months beyond its current expiration.

Liza walked out of the courtroom and stood in the hallway and felt the judge's words go through her like something she could hold.

Twelve months. Two years total.

She called Gavin. She called Myrna. She went to the diner on the corner and ordered coffee and sat there for an hour, not moving, watching the light change through the window.

Twelve months. It wasn't forever. It wasn't the end of anything. But it was twelve months, and it was hers, and she was still here, and she had survived it.

The coffee got cold. She drank it anyway.