Sherri Smith, click
here to update your pages on AuthorsDen.
Blogs by Sherri Smith
Grandma's View of Divorce 5/12/2014 2:58:58 PM
An ongoing account of living through a custody battle for a grandchild. THE Night
The phone was ringing and when I answered a frantic voice was screaming “Grandma! You have to get down here right now.” It was my 12 year old granddaughter Katlin and I couldn’t make out much more of what she was saying except I caught the words gone, Daddy took Breezy. Fear clinched my stomach. This couldn’t be happening again! She is five now and will remember this someday. How do I know? Because I remember a custody fight when I was three. I grabbed my keys, purse and phone and ran out the door. I flew down the street, thank goodness it is only six blocks. I pulled into the driveway and ran into the house. Heather is crying, Katlin is walking around in a daze and the two little guys they were babysitting were there. One was crying and one was sleeping.
I couldn’t yet understand what had happened. Finally, I was able to understand what my daughter and granddaughter were trying to tell me. While Heather had traveled to pick Katlin up from volleyball camp, Luke came in, packed his and Luke Junior’s clothes and cleaned out Brianna’s room. He took them to family in Stonington and then came back to wait for Heather to arrive.
He says to her, “I can’t live like this anymore and I’m leaving.”
Her reply was, “you are not taking Brianna.”
His answer. “I already have.” Then he walked out the door. A frantic search of the house revealed that his clothes, his son’s clothes and all of Brianna’s clothes were gone.
Hunter was beside himself. He is autistic and doesn’t adapt to change well. He is 10 years old and he was left with the one year and two year old babysitting kids. Unclear of the time line here. Did he leave him there while he took the kids to Stonington? It must have been. The story is jumbled, it came at me so fast and so many were trying to tell what happened.
It hit me hard. My first thought was, “he did this before.” He did do it before and at that time he had Heather committed to the psych ward and was preparing to turn the other three kids over to the state unless their dad showed up at court the next morning. We all went through hell, then it happened a second time, and now a third? This was unbearable! I cried, silent tears streaming down my face. I love all of my grandchildren, but those that know me know that Breezy is my sunshine. She always can brighten up a gloomy down day.
Angie, my other daughter in law came. There was nothing we could do! Heather called the police but they didn’t take it as a priority. They said they would send someone out when someone was available. She called Christian County. Again, they could do nothing. He is the father. Obviously not Father of the Year in my eyes!!
Grandma took Hunter and Katlin to my house so they wouldn’t be there when the police officers came. Hunter of course was so wound up he chattered non stop.
I waited for further word but knew in my heart that it was not going to be an easy battle or a clean fight. Learning from experience, I decided I would not be taking calls or messages from Luke. Unfortunately the hard way, I had to learn that he can and will take anything you say or don’t say and make it seem like you are on his side. Bending the truth to suit his will drove a wedge between Heather and her Dad and I and it would not be allowed to happen again.
I called Grandpa, he was shooting pool. I didn’t want to upset him before it was his turn to shoot but I had to let him know. He shot next and then came home immediately. His team was there to support him. He came home, we hugged each other and cried. We held on to Katlin and Hunter extra tight. Steve called Mom to get the prayer wagon going. I could hardly talk, all I could do was cry.
The police finally came and just as I thought, they couldn’t do anything because he was a parent. Legal procedures would have to be taken to get her back to us. Heather started proceedings that night by going to DOVE and requesting help. Meanwhile, since Heather was not allowed a key to the house, she was afraid to stay there. They came here. Of course we want them here to give them all the love and support we could give them.
It was a bad first night. Kids were upset but finally went to sleep. Heather texted and said she was still at DOVE, the domestic violence shelter discussing what to do next with their capable staff. We told her we wanted her to come here and not be by herself and when she was finished, she did. Not much sleep for the adults in the family. Oh! Kenzie was with her cousin Kellianne, thank God for that. I went over to tell her what was happening and Craig and Amy assured her and me that they would do anything they could to help in the situation. She also chose to stay with them because her and Kellianne are very close.
There was a hole in my heart, I couldn’t control the tears. I tried to talk to mom but she couldn’t hear me because I was crying so much.
The last horrible thought before I fell asleep was; the first book I published, my Dad died. The second book I published, Steve got hurt at work and the disability nightmare began. The third book, I broke my leg. I just published my fourth book, and this was happening.
