Mel, Paxton's foster mom, asked his new caseworker if they can bring him to visit me and if it's ok for him to talk to me on the phone. The thing that pisses me off about that is the actual caseworker is on vacation and the back-up worker doesn't want to "go out on a limb." I don't blame Mel for asking, she wants to keep the kids, and so she's being a good team-player.
But it could be weeks before the worker gets back to her. This person is newly assigned and went on vacation a day or 2 after CPS took the kids, so when she gets back, she's gonna have to review the whole case, hearings and all.
Mel said in a text that Paxton asked about me as soon as they got to her house. I told her to let him know I'm a dear friend of hers and Tony's. She text again that she told Paxton that and he started singing a song called "I'm So Happy."
She told the worker that when she asked if he could call and/or visit me. And yet.....
Mel also text me on Sunday morning saying Paxton had nightmares Saturday night, and asked if there's anything she could do. Paxton has had nightmares or night-terrors, since infancy, so it might be a brain chemistry imbalance due to prenatal drug exposure, and maybe the actual terror from abuse and watching his parent's horrible fights exacerbate that, or keep the brain chemistry from becoming balanced naturally.
I told her I rocked him until he was 2, of course, and when I only had him on weekends (sometimes 4-days long) I started laying down next to him and used white-noise from a fan, this stuffed bear that projects stars onto the ceiling, and sometimes gentle music. That worked until the abuse got worse. Then all I could do was hold him and let him cry and tell him I was sorry, and he's so brave, and I love him, and I was trying to help him.
When I do finally get to see him, unsupervised, I'm going to explain how Family Court and CPS works. I'll explain it at his 4yr-old level. In fact, I found a few videos that do that, but they make both systems sound unquestionably ethical and even care free, so I'm gonna explain it from a much more realistic perspective. He has to know I tried to keep him safe, despite what we're up against, and that I'll keep trying because he's worth it; he's a good boy, and smart and talented and 100% lovable.
I'm also gonna tell him that I totally believe Mel and Tony feel the same way.