Another one of the many uses of SB...

{While I am away, I am offering some things I have seen in the past few weeks but didn't get a chance to post before ... stories from Canada will follow my return.}

I drive by this building occasionally, it's called Neutral Corner.  Whenever I see it, there is a little pang.  I feel for the families that need a safe place to make custodial exchanges.  Sometimes, I am feeling less charitable and wonder how it gets that bad.  But, I guess I can imagine any number of scenarios that would require this level of intervention in order to keep all parties safe.

I have witnessed several tense discussions between split up co-parents... including using sb as the drop off point.  But the other day, I saw something I hadn't seen before.  The dad came in with the two kids.  I guess I should have wondered when they didn't buy anything. 

The dad held the son on his lap and the daughter was next to them, eating out of a bag of chips.  I kept waiting for a mom to join them with hot drinks, but she never did.  I tried to get the little boy to talk to me because he had his face painted.  But big sister did all the talking.  Dad laughed at the son not being willing to say anything, just nod or shake his head.

I went back to my work because that is why I was there, after all.  And a little bit later, I noted that everyone (dad and two kids) was looking towards the door.  The daughter looked at the door and then her father.  No one came in the door, and I didn't see anyone outside of the door either.  Then the packing up and hugging started. 

The dad didn't seem to want to let go of his son, but he did.  Then he hugged the girl and packed her up with backpack and lunch bag.  Off they went, jauntily, through the door, seemingly just out into the darkness alone.

Then I saw a figure standing about three feet from the door, near the steps up to the entrance.  Apparently that was as close as she was going to get.   Soon the two kids were being hugged on the other end by the shadowy figure I saw through the window. 

I let the scene register in my mind.

And then I heard sobbing.  I tried not to look over.  This must be the kind of excruciating pain they went through on both sides each time...

...what a way to live.