Tyra Moves in: Day 1

A million emotions are going through my head right now. My oldest daughter Tyra came to live with me today. Granted, Right now it is a trial period. In two weeks we will re-evaluate the situation and see where she wants to be permanently. It was tough tonight picking her up. Leaving my youngest, Alexis behind. I tired my best to comfort her as she was upset that she couldn’t come too. I told her that I loved her and I wasn’t leaving her out, but it was still hard to say those words with out getting choked up. I am not a man to cry. I am kind of a man’s man, but one thing that can always make me cry is my children. I didn’t cry today, but damn it the lump in my throat made it very hard not to.
The first night with Tyra was kind of confusing. The young girl who apparently has all these problems appeared sweet, polite, and respectful. Like any weekend that she spends with me it was all happy time. I was so proud of the young lady she was. We even went grocery shopping and she helped us nab up what we needed no questions asked. It was totally uneventful.
It wasn’t until dinner that I noticed any sign of sadness in her. She expressed at the table that it wasn’t the same sitting at the dinner table without her sister there. She didn’t cry but she said that she missed her sister. I don’t think she was alone in her emotions.
After dinner I waited expecting a melt down, attitude, or something. Nothing. Not until right before bed time when I had her call her mom to say good night. She talked to her mom for all of about a minute and then asked to speak with her sister before Alexis had to go to bed. She got the opportunity to tell her sister that she missed her and loved her. Then when her mom got back on the phone to talk all her mother said was Goodbye and hung up on her. Tyra got off the phone clearly heart broken. My heart ached for her. I just held her and said I was sorry, maybe tomorrow. She just smiled and said “maybe.” It became obvious to  me that maybe Tyra, a girl transitioning from adolescence to her teen age years might not have any problems other than the typical ones that every person goes through as they go into their teenage years. Maybe the problem was her mother. Tyra as at an age where it is the most important thing to her to know that some one is listening and understands. Her mother doesn’t even appear to care. I don’t care how you feel you never turn your back on your kids, EVER.
So as I write this I am getting ready for bed. I have to get her off to junior high in the morning. With a cloud of thoughts to ponder, I look forward to tomorrow with positivity and skepticism. Until tomorrow, Gnite.