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?

The Recommendation

The hearing was scheduled for January 8th. I requested the day off work weeks in advance. Jeffrey and I met at the courthouse an hour early to review our strategy one final time. Megan would testify first about her evaluation findings. Then we’d present evidence about Keith’s background and testimony from Becca’s family members. Becca’s lawyer would try to discredit everything, but Jeffrey was ready to counter.

We walked into the courtroom together. Becca was already there with her lawyer. Keith sat in the gallery behind her. The judge entered and called the hearing to order.

Megan was sworn in and took the witness stand. Jeffrey asked her to summarize her evaluation findings. She spoke clearly and professionally. She stated that I demonstrated appropriate parenting skills during her evaluation. She noted my genuine attachment to Lily and my commitment to her well-being. She observed that I had stable employment and housing. She said my support system was strong with my mother’s involvement.

Then she turned to her concerns about Becca’s situation. She noted Becca’s defensiveness during both evaluation sessions. She said Becca’s explanations for why she left were inconsistent and suggested possible coercion or outside influence. She raised concerns about Keith’s boundary issues and the inappropriate speed at which he’d assumed a parental role. She stated that Keith’s behavior during his evaluation raised red flags about his motivations and his understanding of healthy family dynamics.

Megan testified that in her professional opinion, Lily’s best interest would be served by increasing my custody time significantly. She recommended transitioning to unsupervised visitation immediately. She suggested working toward shared custody with equal time.

Most importantly, she stated that Keith should not be allowed to interfere with my parental relationship with Lily. She said his presence created an unhealthy dynamic that prioritized the adults’ relationship over the child’s need for both biological parents.

Becca’s lawyer stood to cross-examine. She tried to suggest that Megan’s evaluation was biased. She asked if Megan had considered that Keith was simply being protective of his new family. Megan responded calmly that protective behavior didn’t include dismissing a biological father’s role or attempting to replace him. She said Keith’s behavior showed poor boundaries and concerning patterns.

The lawyer asked if single mothers weren’t allowed to move on and find new partners. Megan said, “Of course they were. But new partners needed to respect existing parental relationships and not attempt to erase them.”

The judge thanked Megan for her testimony. I could see the judge was taking her professional assessment seriously. Becca looked pale. Her lawyer whispered urgently to her. Keith shifted in his seat, looking angry. Jeffrey squeezed my arm under the table. This was going better than we’d hoped.

Unsupervised

The judge cleared her throat and shuffled papers on her bench. She looked directly at me. “Mr. Anderson, based on the evaluation findings and testimony presented today, I’m ordering unsupervised visitation effective immediately. You’ll have your daughter every Saturday from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the evening. No monitor, no restrictions.”

I felt my chest tighten with relief. 8 hours alone with Lily every week.

The judge continued speaking. “We’ll reconvene in 2 months to discuss permanent custody arrangements. Both parties should prepare for that hearing with updated documentation. Court is adjourned.”

The gavel came down. Jeffrey grabbed my arm and squeezed hard. Becca stood abruptly, her chair scraping loud against the floor. Her face was red and twisted. She turned to her lawyer and started talking fast, her hands moving in angry gestures. Keith appeared from the gallery and followed them into the hallway. I could hear his raised voice through the door.

Jeffrey packed his briefcase slowly, giving me time to process. “You did it. First major victory. Unsupervised visits mean the court trusts you.”

I nodded but couldn’t speak yet. My mother hugged me from behind. “I’m so proud of you.”

“When can we see her?”

“This Saturday. I get her this Saturday.”

I walked out of the courtroom and saw Keith arguing with Becca’s lawyer near the elevators. His face was purple with anger. Becca stood between them, looking small and defeated. I turned away and headed for the stairs instead.