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?

Cracks in the Family Front

Becca’s sister reached out through a mutual friend. A guy I used to work with at the hospital texted me saying someone wanted to talk to me confidentially. He gave me a number. I called it.

Becca’s sister answered. She sounded nervous. Said she couldn’t talk long because Keith monitored Becca’s phone and she didn’t want him finding out she’d contacted me. She’d witnessed some things at Becca’s house in Arizona that worried her. She wouldn’t give details over the phone but agreed to talk to Jeffrey in person. She was flying back to our city the following week for work and could meet with him then.

This was huge. Becca’s family had been completely united against me since this started. Her mother testified against me. Her sister sent me that text telling me to stop harassing them. Now her sister was reaching out privately with concerns.

Jeffrey said this was the first crack in their united front. Family members turning against each other’s testimony was powerful in court. It showed that even people who wanted to support Becca couldn’t ignore what they were seeing. I didn’t know what Becca’s sister had witnessed, but it was serious enough that she was willing to go against her own family to talk about it.

Jeffrey scheduled a meeting with her for the following Tuesday at his office. He’d record her statement and potentially call her as a witness if the information was relevant to Lily’s safety or well-being.

First Steps

My fourth visit happened on a Saturday morning. I brought more toys and a picture book about animals. Lily was already in the playpen when I arrived. This time, when she saw me, she actually crawled toward the edge of the playpen, pulling herself up on the mesh sides. She was trying to get to me.

The monitor helped her out and Lily crawled across the floor straight to me. She grabbed my leg and pulled herself up to standing, wobbling a little. I held her hands to steady her while she practiced standing. She was getting stronger, more confident. We played like that for a while, me helping her stand and walk a few steps before she’d plop down and crawl somewhere else.

The monitor actually smiled while watching us. She made notes but her expression was warm instead of clinical. When the visit ended and I had to leave, Lily cried a little. Not a lot, just some fussy sounds and reaching for me as the monitor picked her up. The monitor said this was actually a good sign. It showed Lily was forming attachment. She was starting to miss me when I left. That was progress.

I drove home feeling lighter than I had in months. My daughter was remembering me. She wanted me. The bond we’d had before Becca took her was slowly rebuilding itself.

Psychological Evaluations

My first session with Megan took place in her office downtown. Professional space with diplomas on the wall and comfortable chairs. She had kind eyes but a serious demeanor.

The session lasted 2 hours. She asked about everything. My relationship with Becca, how we met, when things started going wrong. My parenting philosophy, what kind of father I wanted to be. My work schedule at the hospital, how I’d balance custody with my shifts. My support system, who would help me with childcare.

I answered honestly. Told her about coming home to an empty apartment. About the 3 months of not knowing where my daughter was. About the financial strain of legal fees and how I’d picked up extra shifts to cover them. About my mother’s support and how she’d been attending visits to help Lily feel comfortable.

Megan asked about my drinking. I explained that Becca had made false accusations about alcohol abuse, that I occasionally had a beer after work but had never had a drinking problem. She asked if I’d be willing to submit to random drug and alcohol testing. I agreed immediately. I had nothing to hide.

She asked about my anger. Whether I’d ever been violent or aggressive. I told her no, that I’d been frustrated and desperate but never violent. That I’d never raised a hand to Becca or anyone else.

Megan wrote constantly, but her face gave nothing away. I couldn’t tell if she believed me or if she thought I was lying. She was professional, measured, careful not to show bias either way. At the end of the session, she scheduled a follow-up for the next week. Said she’d need at least three sessions with me to complete her evaluation. I left her office with no idea whether she was sympathetic to my case or skeptical of my claims.