Page 54 of Mercy
We park and get out of the vehicle and walk up to the hostess stand as we wait for our table. Liam hands Ivy a mask and she rewards him with a scowl.
“Put it on Ivy, now. I won’t risk you getting sick. It only comes off when you’re eating.”
“Fine,” she huffs and puts it on.
After we are seated, Liam orders a bottle of wine and a Shirley Temple for Ivy, when the waitress brings it, Ivy beams.
Finally, our meals arrive, and we start to eat. I got a steak salad; Liam got his favorite steak and Ivy got an adult-sized hamburger and French fries.
She eats a few of her fries, then all of a sudden asks, “What’s going to happen to me?”
Both of us glance at her unsure what the question is.
“I mean if my mom never comes back. When I get out of the hospital, where will I go?”
I turn to her and take her hand in mine, “You won’t be going home with your mom. You’ll be going to a foster home.”
“Why?”
“A judge decided that is what’s best for you. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea for you to live with your mom.”
“What's a fosters home?” she asks.
“It’s a family that takes in kids that need a home. There will probably be other kids there for you to play with.”
I’m trying really hard to spin this positively for her, but I know the reality of foster homes. I know what could very well happen to her in one. She might get bounced from home to home. It’s rare for a child to stay in the same foster home the entire time. It’s almost unheard of.And then there’s the abuse. Not every foster home is like that, but it does happen. That’s the thought that has my chest constricting. Irony at its finest, take a child from an abusive home to put them in another one. In college I worked on a case as an intern for CPS involving a four-year-old boy. He was murdered by his foster mother while his biological mother was in drug treatment doing everything, she needed to get him back.
“I’ll miss you,” she says taking me from my dark thoughts.
“Well, you aren’t ready to be discharged yet. You’re stuck with us for a while. We have many more movies to watch!” I say.
After we finish eating, the waitress comes to the table with a chocolate cake with six candles. We sing happy birthday to Ivy and she glows. I hand Liam a wrapped gift, he nods and passes it to Ivy, “Happy Birthday, Princess.”
She stares at him, no gawks at him.
“Open it!” He says with much anticipation. I’m not sure who is more excited for her to get the gift.
Ripping open the paper she yells, “It’s a tablet!”
“A kid one, so we will know that you aren’t anywhere that you shouldn’t be.”
“Thank you, Dr. L and Mercy!”
She has an ear-to-ear grin plastered on her face. Unshed tears fill my eyes as I try to reign my emotions in. I love this little girl with my whole heart.
“Next up, I’m taking you where you’ve always wanted to go,” Liam says.
“Where?” she asks.
He piles the plates together as he states, “When you had your first blood draw this time and were so scared, I asked you where you wanted to go if you could go anywhere in the world. You told me about the butterfly place.”
She starts bouncing up and down with excitement, “That’s where we are going?”
“Yes, we’re going to the Butterfly Conservatory, if you’d like to.”
“Are you ready?” He smiles at her.
“YES!” She squeals.
