Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Kayla said that she should be able to get alone time with her daughter, and the supervisor being outside the room should be enough to be considered supervised.
I did my best to settle them down, but they still glared at each other during breakfast and were unable to see how their behavior and attitudes affected those around them.
Thankfully, Caroline had to leave for work after being asked to work a swing shift today instead of her usual earlier shift.
"Can you believe her?" Kayla asks as she follows me to the office after breakfast has been cleaned up.
"I know you want me to choose sides, Kayla, but I'm not going to do that," I say, trying not to let my exhaustion come through in my tone, and feeling like I'm failing miserably.
"Because you agree with her?"
I sit in my desk chair and look at her. "The rule is in the title. You can't supervise someone from outside the room."
She huffs, crossing her arms over her chest like a child who isn't getting their way.
"I told you from the first day you came that there would be hoops you would have to jump through and rules you'd have to follow to regain custody of Aleah."
She sighs again, her chin wobbling with emotion.
"I'm not the one who hurt people. Why am I the one who's getting punished?"
"It's not meant to be punishment," I assure her. "You have to prove that she's safe with you. Attend your visit and just pretend like they're not even there."
"Except they are there, and taking notes just to find something wrong with how I act around her."
"They will point out issues they see, and that's a good thing. If you're acting in a way that may cause her harm later, don't you want to know and correct those issues?"
"I would never hurt my daughter," she says, her voice a growl.
"Kayla," I say, running my hands over my face and resisting the urge to crack my neck because I know just how harmful it can be. "No one is saying you would outwardly hurt her. You have to know, just from the groups we've had since you've arrived, that sometimes we pick up behaviors, mannerisms, and things like that from our abusers, and we don't even know it. The supervisors are trained to watch and point out any of those issues they observe before they grow into a bigger problem."
"Okay," she says. "Fine."
I watch as she gets up to walk away, feeling like I'm doing her a huge disservice by not stopping her and trying to work through the issue another way. But some people just need to take a breath and sit with their emotions before they're ever going to be able to see the issue.
I work on case notes and meet with Dana and the kids. This week is a break week for them, and they seem excited not to have to sit in a classroom for several hours a day.
Lunch comes and goes, and Kayla doesn't come out of her room. She grumbles a thank you when I tell her I made her a plate and put it in the fridge for whenever she's ready to eat, but she doesn't show her face again until just after two, when it's time for her to leave for her supervised visitation.
By a quarter to three, Victoria arrives, looking flustered and agitated.
"Whatever I can do to help," I offer when she comes into the office.
"All of this planning. All the money, energy, and coordination that have gone into this fundraiser, and there's a forty percent chance of rain tomorrow," she growls.
"It'll burn off," I assure her. "And if it doesn't, then we add some sort of rainy-day activities that the kids will love."
She gives me a sad smile.
"I want it to be successful."
"It will be."
"I have been so busy. I haven't even explained what it is."
"I was told a little about it in my interview, but sit down for a minute, take a breath, and tell me all the things. I want to help."
She drops into the chair across from my desk with a heavy sigh, the stack of folders in her arms landing on her lap.
"It's supposed to be fun," she says, sounding as if she's trying to remind herself more than explain it to me. "That's the whole point. A day in the park. Food trucks. Kids running around. Music. Booths. People laughing. People realizing that community resources aren't these scary things tucked away in the shadows. We've included so many organizations because we don't want it to appear like an event for only those in need. We figured that the stigma of it only being for needy families would lower attendance."
"That sounds amazing," I tell her honestly.
"It could be," she says, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It will be if the weather cooperates."