Saving Rain

by Kelsey Kingsley

“In my twenty-six years as a judge, I have unfortunately had a number of these cases pass my desk. I will say, most have been colored in stark contrasts of black and white, and an appropriate punishment has nearly always been easy to decide. “Mr. Mason, your case has not been one of those. “I have thoroughly reviewed the charges against you over these last few days, and while I wholeheartedly agree with your plea of guilty on every account, I don’t hold the same opinion as you that you are, as you have repeatedly put it, a bad person. “Mr. Mason, I believe that, while, yes, you committed these crimes, you unwittingly did so with curiously good intent and without a genuine desire to harm. And your outward displays of emotion and your cooperation with law enforcement, along with your excellent behavior since your arrest, have been greatly taken into consideration in determining your fate. “And so, with all the aforementioned in mind, I have decided to sentence you to a total of twelve years of imprisonment at Wayward Correctional Facility, taking into account the year you’ve already spent in custody, with the possibility of early release on good behavior. Do you understand this?” Eleven more years. It felt like an eternity—a death sentence—and yet it still didn’t feel like enough when all I could think about was Billy and the life I had stolen from him. “Yes, Your Honor,” I answered, my voice hoarse and my heart thundering. Somewhere in the courtroom, someone began to cry. B...