It is a moot point. She showed up today - at 3 am. I have never been so upset at a child of mine. The disrespect and inconsideration is the drugs though, so I let it slide.
She messaged me shortly after 10 am yesterday to tell me that they were leaving for Jacksonville. Oh, and could I take on her two grown cats for a month? I gave her 3 stipulations: 1) she sign an owner surrender for both animals 2) she transfer or release the vet records to me 3) if she doesn’t show here with a signed lease in a month, I will be signing them over to the humane society and rehoming them both. She agreed to all.
The drive from where she was to my house is like 5-6 hours. Her boyfriend and her were trading off riding the motorcycle and driving her car. They were pulled over twice - once at 3 pm and once at 2:30 am. The car and motorcycle both had no insurance, no registration. The motorcycle was not inspected, the car’s inspection is up May 31. She got tickets at the first traffic stop, none at the second. She was blowing up my phone at 3 pm, trying to get me to send my credit card information to her, so she could set up insurance over the phone, and get the vehicles registered online. I guess the cop let them do that? This didn’t happen, because I am not an idiot. Also because I don’t have money to lend her and not get paid back. She told me after she arrived that her uncle paid it - this is an uncle from her birth family who has no idea she is going through addiction. I haven’t been in touch with him. Sigh.
She told me she’d be here after all this nonsense at 3 pm, by 11 pm, and then she sent a GPS photo saying 12:30. DarkKnight went to bed at midnight, utterly exhausted. PunkRock was done at 1 am, when the next text showed arrival at 2:30. His alarm is set for 5 pm, so no way.
Anyway, their 5 hour trip took 15 hours. I told her that her boyfriend wasn’t welcome on my property, so he parked down the street when she came to drop off the cats. It wasn’t an issue. She did the paperwork and then I gave her some food from the Blessing Box. She ate a ton of grapes and an entire ham & cheese Lunchable while talking to me. I don’t know this person. She was wolffish, almost feral when eating. She said they were trying to save money so they hadn’t been buying food. She left with a loaf of bread, some peanut butter and jelly, granola bars - stuff I give to everyone who visits and is in need. They certainly qualify.
She was in tears a few times with her cats. She said she knows she should sign them over and let me find them a home now, but that they are her family and her babies and she can’t. That she will get a place and they will be back with her on July 2. She was really vague about what exactly is going on in Jacksonville. Honestly, it sounds like some sort of drug buy. She told me she has been “mostly” staying clean now that she is with this guy again. She gleefully showed me her hands and pointed to her face to indicate how the sores are fading. She seems to not understand that she picks when she isn’t using. Since they are clearing up, it shows that she has used. She said this guy is wonderful because he can connect with her and know what she’s going through because he goes through it too. They are helping each other. I told her I was sure he was helping her go in the wrong direction from getting healthy. I didn’t lecture her though. I said we had a fundamental disagreement and there was nothing I could say to change her mind on that. Just that I 100% know this won’t end well at all between them and that she needs help for her co-dependency AND her addiction. She gave me a huge hug and said she loves me and she’s sorry.
She was gone very quickly. Apparently they have a place to sleep in the next town south, so they’ll do that and then head out late tomorrow and try to make it to NC, which is the next leg of the journey.
I hate this so fucking much. I want my daughter back. I have to be content now that I have her cats rescued, at least. I had to spend 3 hours tonight after dinner setting up our regular kitten room though, and that pissed me off. I have no idea what moved the timeline up so drastically, but I was scheduling to have the space ready by Tuesday. Having to do it all at once, rushed and unexpectedly was aggravating. Those cats have spent the last 6 months being bounced from different temporary households and living in a car. They need to have some space. The one black cat was scared out of its mind and scratched me up pretty good two times. He needs some serious adjustments and holding time. Her other is a lovebird and was all over me, wanting attention. I fostered him when he was a kitten, and I don’t know, maybe he recognized me as his old mom? He was a complete sweetheart.
I am in bed next to PunkRock now. I need sleep badly. I had an extremely stressful day - this story is missing so many pieces it seems wrong but my brain isn’t working. Tomorrow I have an appointment to get my hair colored at 9 am. Fuck I have to shut down now.