It feels like this process is never going to end. At this time two years ago, I was waiting to meet the boy who was a potential match, the child who would very quickly become my son. That transition time–from meeting to move-in–is pretty much the only thing that went quickly for us. E moved in, and we’ve been trying to get him adopted pretty much ever since. Yesterday, we met with his appeals attorney, who, while I appreciate her honesty, does not always present things in a very optimistic way. She told us it could take six months for the appeal to get to court, and then another six months for them to make a decision. A whole year. Another entire journey around the sun where my child has to live every day with uncertainty about whether he’ll get to stay with me or not, whether his desires for permanancy will be heeded. UGH.
The lawyer gave us worst-case scenarios. Though she doesn’t think it will go beyond appeal, it could. If his bio mom wins her appeal, the case will go back to trial and basically be heard again. The lawyer’s opinion is that the long process could work in our favor in that case, because every day it takes makes E older, and gives his opinion and wants more weight in the court. But in the meantime, E feels like he’s not getting heard, that he might have to leave, that his whole life could just fall apart with one judge’s decision. It is truly heart-breaking.
birch & raven 