Los Angeles Courthouse. Hugo was being arraigned for fraud - stemming from the damage to Mocha Daze. Things were falling hard on him and since I had no job, I had time to lend my support, although I thought it was a ludicrous charge.

Hugo's lawyer told me courtroom L, and I found it just in time. I walked in, but recognized no one. Everyone was being seated along with the judge.

"Ma'am, you understand you are charged with corporate embezzlement and insider trading." Suddenly I froze. Was he talking to me? And that's when I realized my mistake-- I had walked into the wrong courtroom.

"Yes," quivered the woman's voice.

"How do you plead?" asked the Judge, completely void of any life or sense of humor.

Suddenly, I was intrigued and walked in closer, sitting in an open aisle seat.

"Not guilty." I wanted to see her face, but I didn't need to because I recognized it in her voice-- the burden, the weight-- the oppression of guilt. I knew then that I had done the right thing with L'Atrice because the guilt I once carried was now a badge worn with levity. I could wear it to exude experience or I could remove it to lighten my load. Why? I had taken control of it; it no longer controlled me.

I left to look for the right room but realized I had to go back downstairs to Information. The hallways were crowded with two kinds of people: lawyers who walked like focused New Yorkers fighting the encumbrance of their surroundings; and then civilians like me-- the bridge and tunnel crowd from New Jersey-- struggling in the big city hoping someone would tell them where to go. I got to the bottom of the steps and someone called my name.

"Fran, yo Fran. " It was Mike.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, happy to see a friend in such a ferocious atmosphere.

"Big day. I'm testifying against Friday and Gannon."

"Oh my God, you must be freaked."

"No," he said. "Just glad to be getting it over with. You know, put it all behind me."

"Will they be there watching you?"

"Yep. What are you doing here?

"Hugo's arraignment."

"What? Hugo's what?"

I was surprised he hadn't heard. "They for fraud. They think that he trashed Mocha Daze himself to get insurance money."

"You're shitting me."

"Listen, I gotta go, because I think it's happening right now."

"Well, I've got a little time. I'll come with."

We went to the Information booth and after about ten minutes in line, the lady sent us to Room D.

We walked in and everyone was waiting for the judge. Hugo looked at us and gave me the worst attempt at a fake smile I'd ever seen.

I was glad I was there. Maybe I had no job and nowhere to go, but I knew now it was the string of lasting relationships that kept me the person I wanted to be.