We dropped Charlie off at Grandma's for some much anticipated one-on-one time and took C to a local burger place. We honestly weren't sure who all would be coming other than Grandma.
C didn't have much to say about the meeting even when we asked specific questions and seemed to get a bit antsy when we arrived early. Grandma showed up right on time, but alone. Grandpa arrived a few minutes later and explained that they had met there because she had come straight from a class.
C was happy to see them but still a bit quiet. Before long Grandma pulled me over to the side to find out how he was really doing, and C seemed more comfortable bouncing back and forth between the boys' table and girls' table than he had been when we were all together.
Just as C was finishing his lunch, a man walked in with eyes only for C and a huge grin on his face. He quickly came over and scooped him up, and I just caught a glance of perhaps the biggest real smile I've ever seen on C's face, before he was buried in dad's arms.
It was clear that they were thrilled to see each other, and we all sat for well over an hour talking and laughing and catching up. Dad was very honest about how he ended up in this situation, had brought a couple pair of shoes he thought might finally fit, quizzed us about whether we'd found a barber and informed us of C's hair type peculiarities, then offered more than once to pay for the haircut and also anything else we might need for C. We assured him that C had arrived well-equipped, but Dad still seemed to feel a need to provide that he couldn't resolve. He talked of the sports he looked forward to putting C in, and how they had worked together on school and other things when he was home.
As the visit was winding down C clamped himself around Dad's leg, refusing to let go. Everyone laughed, but there was sorrow in it, too.
C was better behaved and more engaged than we've ever seen him. Replaying the whole thing in my mind, it seems like a straight-forward family reunion, but nothing is straight-forward in foster care.
We have been told by the "experts" that C doesn't want to reunite with his biological family. We've been told by some experts that Dad will definitely complete his treatment and be ready for April, while others subtly convey the opposite.
Dad, himself, said that he has finished the anger management portion, and we should hear from DSS soon to coordinate unsupervised visits. Then he stated that he expects to complete the rest of his treatment in four to six weeks, but when I asked Grandma point blank if she thinks we should be preparing C for reunification in April she was hesitant, eventually suggesting that we just speak as little about it as possible, "just in case."
While C didn't want to let go of Dad when it was time to go, as soon as he was in the car he was perfectly content to leave with us and chatted about what he would play the whole ride home.
Jason and I really don't know what to think or feel about any of it. We know that it was much less awkward than we'd expected and we saw that there is as much love as we could hope, but as we go about our weekend chores there is a sense of confusion and quiet about us.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight."
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
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