I Came Home From A Hospital Shift To Find My Fiancée And Baby Gone. The Police Called It A “Civil Matter” And Refused To Help. How Do I Find My Daughter?

Keith’s Failure

Jeffrey got word through his contacts that Keith had his evaluation session with Megan. It didn’t go well.

Keith apparently spent most of the session talking about himself as Lily’s real father. He dismissed my role completely and claimed I was just a biological donor who abandoned his family. Megan pressed him on why he thought it was appropriate to assume a parental role so quickly. He got defensive and said someone had to step up since I wasn’t there.

When Megan asked about his previous relationships, he became evasive. She asked specific questions about his financial situation and why he moved so often. He struggled to give clear answers. At one point, he accused Megan of being biased against him because Becca had warned him the system favored biological fathers over “real parents who did the work.”

Megan ended the session early and didn’t schedule a follow-up with him. Jeffrey said that was significant. It meant she’d seen enough to form her professional opinion. The evaluation report would be submitted to the court within 2 weeks. We just had to wait.

First Steps, Literally

My sixth visit with Lily happened on a Tuesday afternoon. I’d taken the day off work specifically for this visit. When I arrived at the center, Lily was already in the play area. She looked up and her face lit up. She crawled over quickly and pulled herself up using my leg.

I helped her stand and held her hands. We practiced walking together across the room. She laughed every time she took a step. The sound made everything worth it. I made silly noises and she giggled harder. She was clearly bonded with me now. The monitor wrote notes and smiled at our interaction.

We played with blocks and read books. Lily sat in my lap the entire time. When the hour ended, Becca arrived to pick her up. I watched Lily’s reaction carefully. She didn’t immediately reach for Becca. She stayed in my arms for a moment, looking between us. Becca’s face changed. Her jaw tightened and her eyes got hard. She held out her arms more forcefully. Lily finally went to her but looked back at me. Becca grabbed the diaper bag and left without saying anything. The monitor noted everything in her report.

3 days later, Jeffrey called me at work. Becca had filed a complaint with the visitation center. She claimed I was trying to turn Lily against her. She cited the last visit when Lily didn’t want to leave with her. She demanded the center investigate my behavior during visits.

Jeffrey wasn’t worried. He said this was projection. Becca was insecure about Lily’s growing attachment to me and was lashing out. The complaint actually helped our case by showing her instability and poor judgment.

The visitation center reviewed all the monitor’s notes from my visits. They found nothing inappropriate in my behavior. The monitor had documented natural father-daughter bonding and age-appropriate play. They dismissed Becca’s complaint as unfounded.

Within 48 hours, Jeffrey sent me a copy of their response. It stated clearly that children forming secure attachments with both parents were healthy and expected. The complaint went into our evidence file as another example of Becca’s attempts to interfere with my relationship with Lily.

Christmas Wishes

November turned into December and the holidays approached. I picked up every extra shift I could get at the hospital. I needed money for Christmas presents for Lily, even though I wouldn’t see her on Christmas Day itself. The custody arrangement gave Becca all major holidays this year.

I worked doubles and covered for other nurses who wanted time off. My paycheck grew, but I was exhausted. One night in the break room, my co-workers asked why I was working so much. I explained about needing money for Lily’s gifts.

The next day they passed around an envelope. Everyone had chipped in. There was almost $400 inside. One nurse I barely knew had donated $100 by herself. She pulled me aside and said, “Every child deserves to have both parents fight for them.”

She said her ex-husband gave up on their kids and she wished someone had fought like I was fighting. I went to my car during lunch and cried. The kindness from people who barely knew my situation made me emotional. I used the money to buy Lily toys and books and clothes. I wrapped everything carefully, even though I wouldn’t be there when she opened them.

Mid-December, Jeffrey called with an update. Megan had completed her evaluation report and submitted it to the court. We wouldn’t see the contents until the hearing scheduled for early January. Jeffrey said the fact that Megan had requested a second session with Becca but not with me was potentially a good sign. It suggested she had concerns about Becca that needed more exploration.

We spent the next two weeks preparing for the hearing. Jeffrey reviewed all our documentation about Keith’s background. Reed had compiled everything into a detailed report showing Keith’s pattern of targeting single mothers and inserting himself into their families. We had testimony lined up from Becca’s mother and sister. We had the visitation center’s reports showing my appropriate parenting and Lily’s secure attachment to me. We had Megan’s evaluation.

Jeffrey felt confident but warned me that family court was unpredictable. Judges had wide discretion in custody cases. We just had to present the strongest case possible and hope the judge saw what we saw.

My seventh visit fell 2 days before Christmas. I brought all the wrapped presents for Lily. The monitor helped me carry them inside. Lily’s eyes went wide when she saw the packages. She crawled over and touched the bright paper. I helped her open each gift. She got excited about the toys and books. We played with everything together. She particularly loved a stuffed elephant that played music when you squeezed it. She hugged it and laughed.

I read her new books and she pointed at the pictures. After an hour she got sleepy. She climbed into my lap and laid her head on my shoulder. I kept reading quietly until she fell asleep. The monitor took photos for the record. These moments were what I’d been fighting for all along. Normal father-daughter bonding. Reading together. Her trusting me enough to fall asleep in my arms.

When the visit ended, I had to wake her gently to hand her back to Becca. She rubbed her eyes and reached for me as Becca took her. “I love you.”

She said something that sounded like “love you back.” I drove home and allowed myself to feel hopeful about the upcoming hearing.