Yes we did

The next day I got a call from Tom. Ryan's Mom had come to him, claiming her son back. She said he had been running away, and when Tom had asked her about the incident on the street she had blamed Tom for this having happened. It had been a decided case that Ryan never would go back to his mother, thus it had been my job to explain it to her,

"Where do you have to go? I thought you took the day off?" Mom had asked when I was on my way to the car.

"The boy from yesterday. His mother appeared again and now wants him back."

"Don't tell me, you'll help her with this!" Mom had asked. I could hear her disapproval in her voice.

"No…no…I just have to explain her why she can't get him back. That's all." Mom had nodded.

"Do you want me to come?" She asked. I'd been taken aback a little when she'd asked it. She had never asked before whether she should come to one of my appointments, and never did again.

"Uh…I don't know…I mean, I'd like if you come, but I don't think you can help me…"Mom had been pregnant and I was just afraid something could happen to our two women.

"Did you forget that I've witnessed what happened?" This had been a good argument; but Ryan's mother had already demonstrated her willingness to use violence once.

"That's right, but…you know…"

"You're afraid something could happen to me and our little daughter, aren't you?" She asked. Mom can see when someone isn't telling her the truth.

"Well, yes."I admitted.

"Then you have to take care of us. Anyway, I'd like to know how the boy is. I still feel in somehow responsible for him. I…don't know, I just want to make sure that he's alright, after all what had happened."

"And who takes care of Seth?"

"We take him with us. I'm sure getting an insight into your job can help him to realise how privileged he is." Your Mom uses to come with such arguments when she's convinced about something,

"Which means at the end Mom and Dad took me with them to the hospital." I say.

"You and hospitals? I don't believe you. You can't even deal with everyday-body-liquids. How could you have been able to deal with the not everyday ones?" Sophie asks. I hate to admit that she's right and that she, with her eight years, already knows my weaknesses. That's not funny.

"Well, yeah…but I didn't know then…so

We were in the hospital and there was this blond hysteric woman who was just.…Ryan's mother. She was screaming about why she wasn't allowed to see her son, and to take him home with her. It had been awful. Mom and I then went to Ryan.

"Hey Ryan." Mom greeted him. He really had been small and tiny. I tell you. He'd been even tinier than you are now, and he'd been two years older then, than you are now. He didn't answer but just answered with one of his still trademark lopsided shy smiles.

"Dude, don't look at me like that. I know you won't punch me."

"Are you sure?"

"How are you today?" Mom asked.

"Fine, thanks."

"That's good to hear. This is my son Seth. I thought you'd like some company." Mom said. Again he only had answered with his shy smile. He must have felt really uncomfortable, because this is what he does when he feels like that.

"Is…is…that my Mom outside?" He asked.

"Uh…yes…but don't worry. She won't hurt you anymore." Mom answered him.

"I'm…I'm sorry…for…her behaviour, but she doesn't know it better, and…it's not her; I think. Sometimes…she's just not herself." He had said. This was his code for saying: my Mom is drunk. I'd never listened before to someone who apologized for his mother and in some way tried to defend her. For me it always had been the other way round. The parents defend their children.

"She's not a bad person…she…sometimes…doesn't know it better." He had sounded very uncomfortable about that, but who hadn't?

"Hey, do you wanna read some comics? I brought some." I know that I'm not the most sensitive person, but I had noticed that things had been a little strained and I had to do something.

"Okay, then I'll leave you two alone." Mom said and then left.

"Hey, so I'm Seth. I'm twelve years old, go to Harbor High and my hobbies are comics – well, graphic novels -, sailing and playing PlayStation games." I introduced myself. He had looked at me like a deer caught in between headlights.

"Oh…okay…uhm…I'm Ryan. I'm ten and I go to Chino Hills. I…don't have any hobbies." He had admitted.

"That's no problem. I'll find you one. We'll start with comics first and then see." I said.

I don't know how long we've been sitting together, reading and talking about comics; but some time. All of a sudden the door was pushed open and a woman I haven't seen before stormed in.

"C'mon Ryan, we're going." It had been Ryan's mother. She tore him out of the bed, not taking care of the IV line he has had in his hand. She ripped it out and I could see that it had hurt him, but he didn't say a word.

"Hurry up Ryan; we don't have the whole day!" She had screamed. I felt intimidated by this woman. I had no idea what to do. I only knew in somehow that this wasn't right.

"Mom!" I called out. I was scared. This woman took Ryan and then dragged him out of the room.

"What's going on here?" Mom asked when she entered the room.

"I'm taking my son home." The woman said. She was pulling Ryan violently with her.

"No, you won't!" Mom followed her and I did too.

"Miss Atwood, I'm sorry, but you can't take your son home with you. You have to wait until I've finished my report." The social worker, Tom, said calmly when we all stood in the hallway. The woman didn't care and stormed out of the hospital – Ryan barely able to follow her.

"Stop, you won't take your son with you!" Tom screamed, ran after them and then grabbed Ryan's free arm.

"I will! He's my son, so leave him alone!" She screamed and then pulled Ryan further. Tom pulled on the other arm.

"No…, please let me lose." Ryan had asked Tom.

"Ryan, don't worry nobody will do you any harm. We just want you to be safe." Tom had said.

"To be safe? Sending him into a foster home isn't safe."The woman had screamed and then pulled once more and Tom pulled back again.

"Stop it, both of you. You're hurting him!" Mom stepped in, but the other woman didn't pay attention and pulled once more. Ryan screamed in pain, Tom let go of him and then the woman disappeared with Ryan.

"And then Ryan's mother took him with her?" Sophie asked.

"She did." I answer her. "But not for long. That same day the court ordered and injunction and withdrew the guardianship from his mother.

"And when did you decide that Ryan had to come here?" My daughter asks; I look over to my husband.