| The Verdict Is In by Doc |
| Alone again, lost without her. Her son cries but she must sit, watch, hear and do nothing. Unless a judge says so she might never hold him again. Her son, her baby, her child, her only family. He cries again. Tears fill her eyes. A knife through her heart would be less painful than not comforting her son. They hold him but he does not settle. He sees her, he wants to go to her, run to her, be held by her. Too little to even walk but he wants to run. Too young to understand why it's not her holding him. She watches their every move. Their every touch of her son. She makes eye contact with him, he pleads with his eyes. He wants her, he wants to be on her lap, held in her arms, her tissue drying his eyes, her kiss on the top of his head. He can't understand why none of it happens. The judge comes in, they all stand. Her eyes reluctantly leave her son. She looks at the judge, tries to gauge the outcome but the judge gives nothing away. 'Be seated'. They all sit. Patiently they wait. The boy knows something important is going on. She looks at her son one last time before the judge speaks. The decision's been made. She sits stunned and numb. Did she hear correctly? Was it a dream? Slowly she stands, her lawyer asks if she understands, slowly she nods as tears quickly form. She turns to her boy, he's being held tight by his grandmother. She walks over to them. Her lawyer by her side. The boy looks up smiling, the grandmother pulls him tight. The courtroom is silent waiting to see what will happen. The boy starts to cry, he wants his mom to pick him up. She stands looking down the verdict playing over in her head. "You heard what the judge said. Now give me my son. I have full custody, you have no visitation rights. I will not keep my son from you but it will take a while for me to trust you and your family." She picks him up, he jumps into her arms. He looks down at his grandma, a hurt look on his face. So young but he knows she kept him away from where he should always be. "Henry my son, my boy, my only family. Finally you are back, here in moma's arms. Back where you should have always been. Let us go home my son. Let me look at you. My you've grown. Yes, home, let us go home." |