C5 New Trial

No one could ever find out the twins had swapped places. Hope suffered in prison from cancer. She never regretted for one moment swapping places with Faith. Joy would always have a mom. She would never see Hope suffer and die of cancer. The best gift Faith ever gave Hope was Joy. Now she had given her back to Faith. Hope cried all the time. Not because of the cancer, but her longing to hold Joy in her arms one more time. To look into her eyes and see that warm smile.

Joy would never understand how she was loved. Not only by her mother but also by her aunt. No one could ever love her more than Hope and Faith. Faith killed to protect her. Hope loved her enough to give up her freedom. Hope always felt that if she made one person’s life a little better, even if only for a brief time. Her life was worth living. She believed that her purpose in life was to help others. God had blessed her with a wonderful job and position to help others. She wanted to leave a legacy of caring. Hope knew that if anyone found out her secret, it would leave Joy without a mother.

Faith and Hope lived every day in fear that someone would find out their secret. How long would it last? Would anyone ever find out? Faith felt guilty about having Hope life in prison. She knew prison life had to be hard on Hope. She was a loving person. The other inmates would take advantage of her. No one in there would ever care about her. She would suffer and die alone, and no one would care.

Faith’s only hope of getting Hope out of prison was to appeal the case. Faith hired the best lawyer money could buy. She appealed the case all the way to the Supreme Court. Years had passed since she received the verdict and the sentence. Faith prayed every night that she could get Hope out of prison and the Lord would forgive her for the things she had done. Faith had found a lawyer that would make sure they explained the domestic violence in her defense.

The lawyer filed an appeal stating that they could not enter all the evidence as evidence. All the District Attorney presented was premeditated murder. That Faith had planned the murder. Faith knew that she was going to be beaten that night. Just like every other night. She knew the only way to stop him from killing her was to kill him.

Her lawyer presented her as a victim of Battered Woman Syndrome. Faith had killed Steve in response to cumulative abuse, rather than in response to a single provocative act. Faith was a victim of continued abuse. There was a life-threatening situation for Faith. She knew if she did not kill Steve, he would eventually kill her. Every time he beat her, the beating was more severe. He only stopped while she was pregnant. As soon as the baby was born, he started beating her again. Faith knew he would never stop. The judge had ordered a new trial.

The new trial complicated things for Faith and Hope. Hope would now have to stand trial for killing Steve. They had swapped placed with each other. Hope is now Faith, and Faith is now Hope. How will this turn out? Will the secret be revealed? Faith never thought there would be a retrial. She thought they would take the additional evidence into consideration and the judge would rule on the sentence.

Faith wanted to clear her name. She wanted everyone to know why she killed Steve. It was self-defense and not murder. Faith was not a murderer. She was a loving mother that only wanted to protect herself and her baby. If any jury would hear the facts, no one would find her guilty of murder. She was in fear for her life. She knew Steve had to be killed. She was afraid that Steve would beat Joy when she was older. Steve deserved to die.

Faith had already repented and ask forgiveness. She had already been forgiven. She had served time that she did not deserve. She missed the landmarks in Joy's life. The first day of school. Her first haircut. Her first birthday party. She had already paid for defending herself. Now Hope is paying the price as well. She is in prison, dying of cancer. No one cares. Her family cannot support her. She is dying alone. Life is so cruel. All the good Hope did for everyone. Now she is dying alone, and no one cares.

The new trail will start in two weeks. Faith is looking forward to being cleared of all charges. Hope is ill and is not sure she will be physically able to stand trial. Can she make a jury believe she killed Steve? Will the jury and judge know she is not Faith? She is Hope, and they swapped places. Hope knew she would die soon. It would be over for Faith. She could continue to live as Hope, and no one would ever know the difference.

Hope is in the last stages of cancer. All the doctors can do now is keep her comfortable. Hope falls asleep. Steve is walking toward her. He is angry and threatening to beat her. She hears a baby cry. She pushes Steve out of the doorway. When she walks into the room, there is no baby. Hope awakens in a state of fright. Her clothes are wet with sweat. Her heart is pounding. The dream was vivid. It felt like the dream was real. She cries. She is now worried about Joy.

Hope calls Faith on the phone and talks to Joy. She is fine. She is watching cartoons in her room. Talking to Joy relieved her worry. Hope is the love of her life. She cannot stand the thought of anything happening to Joy. Hope remembers Joy was a wonderful baby. She never cried unless she was hungry or wet. Hope believes the baby she heard crying is not Joy. But what baby could it be? Joy is the only baby that has been a part of her life. Hope had no children. She spent her life on a career and helping the needy. Hope believed that this world in the condition it is in was not fit for a baby. Hope wanted to help children and not bring them into the world of destruction and evil. She wanted to take care of ones’ that were already here.

Hope never knew the joy of having a child until Joy came into her life. It changed her life forever. She loves Joy and will do anything for her. Joy is the love of her life. She will make the ultimate sacrifice for her. She will die in prison alone with no one caring about her. She wanted to ensure that Joy would always have a mother.

Hope falls asleep and continues the dream of the baby crying. She walks into the house they grow up in. Steve and Charlie are fighting. The baby is crying in the background. Hope walks into the nursery and a baby is lying in the crib crying. They wrapped the baby in the homemade quilt. The quilt has trains, cars, buses, and trucks all over it. She walks closer to pick up the baby, and the baby disappears. Hope knows for sure the baby is not Joy. The baby is a boy.

Hope is does not know what to think. The dream is vivid. It feels like it is happening to her. She believes it connected the baby to her. She never had a baby. Whose baby, is it? Is Steve or Charlie the father. Did Faith have a baby she knew nothing about? Hope is determined to find out about the baby. She discusses the dreams with the nurse that is taking care of her. The nurse tells her the medicine is causing her to have the dreams. There is no need for her to be concerned about it. It is simply just a dream.

Faith calls Hope to check on her. She lets Joy talk to her. Joy always makes her feel better. Joy wants Hope to come over and watch a movie with her. Hope tells her is on a business trip and will be out of town. Joy hands Faith the telephone. Hope asks her to please watch a movie with Joy. When she would watch a movie with Joy, they always had popcorn with hot chocolate. Faith promised to share the evening with Joy, watching Cinderella eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate. Faith hangs up the phone. Hope cries, thinking about Joy and the life they had together. The wonderful times they shared. The love that Joy brought into her life.

The nurse saw Hope lying in the bed, crying. Tears were running down the side of her face. She knew the pain of the cancer was getting more severe for Hope. She gave Hope pain medicine. Hope was soon asleep. Hope continued the dream of the baby crying. She had walked into the room and a baby was lying in the crib crying. She reached down the pickup the baby and it was a little boy. The baby looked into her eyes and stopped crying. The baby smiled. Suddenly, the baby boy was a toddler. The baby started walking away and said, come with me. I need you. Hope woke up. She did not know who the baby was or where it was taking her.