The Glue

The Glue



By: V. Harris



I remember when life was simpler when I could see my independence being reborn as my youngest child was entering middle school. There were always glimpses of my future playing in my head. I knew I would be a young mother with a least a boy, and a girl. The problem I find with planning our lives is that it doesn’t show every detail; just the big stuff is displayed. So as I lay here frozen in fear I realize that even though the plan for my life was achieved it was life’s little surprises that make it interesting. Like today which would always, and forever change my life for the better.



The telephone rang as I put the phone to my ear all I heard were screams. I could feel the panic from the caller on the other end. I was exhausted from the night before I worked eight hours. Our team had twenty-five patients to ourselves which made it feel like twenty hours. I was excited to hit the mattress and I planned to sleep as long as I could. Somewhere between snoring, and dreaming the telephone rang, and at that moment the hidden details of my life plan change everything. It was my sister-in-law she was talking so fast that I didn’t know how she was breathing. I thought I heard her say they are taking the baby; who is taking the baby?



My mind must be playing tricks on me I thought I heard this girl say that Human Services was removing my nephew, and placing him in foster care. I had heard stories about babies being taken from their families, and adopted out to strangers. The family never saw them again, and how their life would turn out was a coin toss. So I shook off my exhaustion, and leaped into my new reality. I spoke with the social worker quickly giving her all the pertinent information on my husband, and myself. I insisted, hell demanded that if this baby were too removed from his parents, and placed with anyone it would be I because we are family. Next, I got around to the business of informing my husband of what I had committed us to. Thank goodness he is always down for the roller coasters in our life. He said that’s good now saddler up.



I was overwhelmed with fear and excitement when I got the telephone from the social worker to pick up my two day old nephew from the hospital. Flashbacks of the days when my three kids were young and the lack of sleep that came with parenting. Now that I am a fulltime student, and employed fulltime how would having a newborn in the house affect everyone? In my heart I knew that we had to stand for this baby. I arrived at the hospital to find broken parents, and no baby boy. I started to panic when I was informed that they had been waiting for me in the nursery. When I was informed that I could not leave with the baby, but he would now be brought to me. I left the hospital, and hurried home. The baby arrived five minutes after I did. I was informed to beware of his eyes. Finally he opened his eyes to see the new world, and they were the most beautiful blood shot deep red eyes I had ever seen. I now had no fear but the upmost love for this darling little boy.



This May my eighteen year old son graduates from high school. We are on our way as a family. My daughter will be a junior, and my youngest biological son will be going into the eighth grade. There will be a perfect little baby boy now twenty months old saying "yeah" because we did it. Believe it or not he is the perfect addition to our family. He has made us all pull together as a team to get things done. So let’s just call this baby boy the glue in our lives.