Maury

The boos were deafening. Mads and I walked out onto Maury's stage the obvious bad guys. Me for being the suspected deadbeat father of LaShonda's child, and Mads for being my Norwegian companion.

I hadn't seen LaShonda in five years, and in an instant I was reminded of just what I'd seen in her. We spent an amazing summer together, one that I'll never forget; but she knew going in that I was going to take that job in Mongolia living in a yurt for two years. I guess when the summer ended, she just couldn't let go...

I didn't even try to plead my case in front of that crowd: they had already tried and convicted me. My entire salvation was held in a sealed envelope Maury was in the process of tearing open.

"...[Y]ou are not the father."

She fell to her knees, crying. Mads handed me a freshly shaken martini, and we stood up and left unceremoniously. I'll never forget you, LaShonda, you were one of the good ones.