270|A Death Sentence

Monday morning, Austin and Marybeth found themselves at the Home Affairs office in Sea Point.

They knew which crummy hallways and debilitated doors would lead to the run-down waiting area. After all, this was where their shotgun wedding was held not too long ago.

As expected, Hadley and Blake were nowhere to be found when Marybeth and Austin entered the waiting room. But Rawlings, looking suave in his black three-piece suit, was there, along with Ruth, and they seemed to be in a far better place than they were the previous day.

After polite greetings and small talk about the pleasant weather the Bay had been blessed with that morning, Marybeth and Austin quickly moved along, taking two of the several empty seats in the room.

As Marybeth watched Ruth fix her husband's tie, she couldn't help but notice how Rawlings pulled off the father-of-the-bride look to perfection. But today, he was anything but a father, and she was somewhat sad for Hadley because when it was all said and done, ther