Things that break a mother's heart - # 783

I went to pick up one of Emme's friend's yesterday. This is a girl my daughter has had issues with off and on since kindergarten, and their friendship seems to be going well lately. I want to get to know her better. No one at the school has come out and said anything directly, but I have gotten the impression her home life isn't the best and that maybe she gets some extra guidance from the adults at school.

I had told her mom I would be there at 4pm on the phone. I have never met her. I guess she doesn't go on the field trips or go to Family Art Night or Science Night.

I got there to pick her up and the girl was waiting outside. Me, "Don't you need to tell your mom you are leaving?" "No, she is at the jail, visiting her boyfriend."

I think I heard a crack in my heart at that very moment.

I started calling the mom about 7pm to ask if little girl could stay the night. No answer for an hour and a half. No return calls, either. We drove over to their home, and the mom and several others were partying loudly in the front yard. Another crack.

I can assure you if my child was off with a virtual stranger, my cell phone would be on and attached to my hand the entire time. I would stare at it, waiting for it to ring, even if I was in the bathroom. Not that I would take it into the bathroom, because that's just gross (everyone knows what kind of vaporized horror spews into the bathroom when someone flushes a toilet, right?), but I would stretch my arm out through the door to hold on to it. Like Stretch what's-his-name. Oops, did that just date me?

Anyway, the little girl spent the night at my house and is going to church with us today, and every Sunday as long as she wants.

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