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Nicholas
Judge Sandra Thornley slumped into her chair, exhaled, swept her long, curly black hair behind her ears and rested her forehead in her hands as she massaged her temples. The door to her chambers opened a crack and then all the way as her pretty, young, blonde court assistant Melanie peered in. The blonde girl frowned as she saw that her boss seemed to be in some physical distress. She padded across to Judge Thornley's desk and placed a steaming mug of coffee close to the older lady. "Your morning coffee, ma'am," she prompted the judge.

Sandra raised her head and her brown eyes regarded the petite court assistant. "Thank you, Mel. Are those today's cases?" she asked, referring to the papers in Melanie's hand.

"Yes ma'am," Melanie replied politely, setting a copy in front of the judge.

Judge Thornley put on her spectacles, settled them low on her nose and scanned the neatly printed sheet in front of her.

"It's a late day, today, ma'am," Melanie advised brightly. "A short one too, we've only got one case due to start and it doesn't look like a difficult one. We need to attend a jury selection at eleven."

"Thank you, Melanie." Sandra smiled at the girl. She could be remarkably efficient when she set her mind to it. An appointment to the bench was not beyond her in the future if she wanted it badly enough. There were times however when she needed 'gentle' encouragement.

"Ma'am?" Melanie asked as Sandra picked up her coffee and commenced studying the details of the case she would be hearing later in the day.

"Yes, Mel, what is it?"

"Are you okay?"

Sandra blinked. Melanie was a perceptive girl. She had enjoyed working with her and the two of them got on well outside the courtroom despite the large disparity in their ages. "I'll be fine, dear. It's just Nicholas."

"Again?" Melanie asked, her bright green eyes narrowing as she pulled up a chair and drew it close to the judge's desk. "What has he done this time?"

Sandra Thornley sighed, she may as well tell Melanie the truth, she needed to unburden to someone.

She was a career woman and was single and childless by choice. She had never had time for either a husband or a child. However her sister had not been the same. A single mother, her sister had died after a sudden and swift illness. Her only child, an eighteen year old boy, Nicholas, had been given into Sandra's care as his closest living relative. Sandra and Nicholas had shared a good enough relationship when his mother was still alive, but since her untimely death the boy had been at best difficult. Surly, uncommunicative and only just staying on the right side of the law he was an almost constant trial to his aunt.