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?

An Unexpected Ally

My phone rang 3 days later. Mom’s name on the screen. I almost didn’t answer. She’d hurt me with her initial reaction suggesting maybe Becca having Lily was for the best. But I picked up anyway.

“Jason, honey, I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“For not believing you at first. For not understanding what she did to you. I should have been on your side from the beginning.”

I sat down on my couch, suddenly exhausted. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. I saw the pictures she’s posting online with that man acting like he’s Lily’s father. It made me sick. You’re her father. You’re my son and I want to help however I can.”

Something in my chest loosened slightly. “I don’t know what you can do.”

“I can come to your next visit. Help Lily feel more comfortable. She knows me. Maybe having family there will help her warm up to you.”

I hadn’t thought of that. The monitor had said Lily needed to feel safe. Maybe my mother’s presence would help.

“You’d do that?”

“Of course I would. I love you and I love my granddaughter. We’re going to fight this together.”

I felt like crying again, but for a different reason this time. “Thank you, Mom. I really need the support right now.”

“You have it. Whatever you need. We’ll get through this.”

After we hung up, I sat in the silence of my apartment for a long time. Maybe I wasn’t completely alone in this fight after all.

A Breakthrough Visit

My second visit with Lily happened on Thursday. Mom came with me, carrying a small bag of toys she’d bought. The monitor greeted us both. “Family visits often help children feel more secure. This is a good idea.”

Becca dropped Lily off and left quickly. This time Lily didn’t cry immediately when she saw me. She looked curious instead, especially when she noticed my mother.

Mom sat on the floor and started singing softly. It was an old lullaby she used to sing to me when I was little. Lily’s head turned toward the sound. She crawled closer, watching Mom’s face. Mom kept singing, gentle and calm, and held out her hand. Lily grabbed her finger, holding on while she listened to the song.

My mother looked at me and nodded. “Come sit with us.”

I moved slowly, sitting next to Mom. Lily glanced at me but didn’t pull away. This time Mom started a new song, one with hand motions, and Lily watched with wide eyes. I joined in carefully, making the same gestures.

Lily didn’t cry. She didn’t reach for me yet, but she didn’t cry. After a few minutes, she grabbed my finger too, just for a second before pulling away. That tiny touch felt like everything.

The monitor wrote on her clipboard, and for once I hoped it was something positive. We spent the rest of the visit singing, playing with toys, and letting Lily move at her own pace. She never fully warmed up to me, but she didn’t scream or try to escape either. Progress.

When Becca came back, the monitor spoke to her briefly. “Lily showed good improvement today. The family presence helped.”

Becca’s expression tightened but she didn’t say anything. She took Lily and left.

Mom hugged me in the parking lot. “See? We’re getting somewhere. She’s starting to remember.”

I hope so. Because I couldn’t keep doing this if there was no hope at all.