When my phone rang, I wasn’t prepared for what would occur next. I heard Lisa scream, “Dad!” then there was a lot of unrecognizable noise, and then the line went dead. I tried unsuccessfully to call her back. A wave of pure, blind panic washed over me. Lisa and my grandchildren were in some kind of danger and I was helpless to do anything about it.
Finally, my phone rang again. This time it was Jan, my sister-in-law and Lisa’s aunt. It seemed Zach had found Lisa and their children in an extended-stay hotel, not far from where we lived. What he saw inside the room concerned him enough to call Jan. She informed me that she had the kids and I needed to get Lisa and take her to Lakeside, a nearby rehab hospital. She would take care of Izzy and Caleb until I got Lisa checked in and was able to come and get them. She said I needed to hurry. Lisa was in a bad way. When the door to her hotel room opened, I was shocked by what I saw.
Standing in front of me was a broken, miserable, desperately sick shell of a girl that vaguely resembled my daughter. Tears flooded her eyes and all she could say was, “Aunt Jan took my kids, Dad. She just took them from me!” Jan had also taken her phone. Behind her was a scene so squalid it made me gasp. It was as if a bomb of trash and dirty clothes had detonated and covered every square inch of the floor with debris. The stove and kitchen counters were filthy and covered with piles of dirty dishes, half-eaten food, and more trash. The sink was overflowing with much the same. The bathroom was indescribable.
I understood then why Jan had taken the kids. She’d reached the same conclusion as I had, that leaving them with Lisa endangered them and their health. And while I knew I could no longer help my daughter, I knew it was time to help my grandchildren.