Gone

I got a message late on Monday that there would be an emergency hearing yesterday at 11:30 due to a request by Tigger's aunt and grandmother that he be placed with them immediately.  When we got home, I started organizing his clothes.  Then I decided that if that was going to be my last night with him, I wanted to just spend time with him.  I cried as he crawled over to me and started reaching up to grab my legs.

The next day I got a call around 12:30 that the judge had ordered temporary custody with Tigger's aunt.  Thank goodness I didn't have any patients scheduled between 12 and 2:30 so I was able to get his stuff together and meet the caseworker at the daycare to tell him goodbye.  I'm not sure how this would have gone if I had been working all day. 

The family had hired a lawyer, and my understanding is that this is the reason they were able to get Tigger so quickly.  I don't blame the family, because I know that if my nephew was in foster care in another state because my sister wasn't taking care of him, I would fight tooth and nail to get him. 

I am so sad to say goodbye to that sweet baby.  But that is balanced out a little with knowing that he has gone with people who want him and love him.