When we went into the salon I silenced my phone, the last time we were here it kept ringing and I didn't want to deal with that again. Thirty minutes later we emerge and we get into the car to go get some pizza. After getting my boy buckled in the car I sat down and picked up my phone to turn the ringer back on. Three missed calls from Erin. One right after another. My heart began to race, a grin spread across my face and the thoughts raced through my head..."We're going to have a baby!" See, Erin was 8 1/2 months pregnant with her second child. My fear had been that she would not give birth until after we left for Texas and of course this grandma wanted to be there for the birth of another grandchild. I buckled up, backed out of the parking lot and called her back as we got on the road. My heart still racing with excitement.
Life changed with the first sound of Erin on the other end of the phone. My excitement ended instantly and panic filled my entire being. That first phone call is forever imbedded in my memory. Never have I heard one of my children so filled with fear, the only thing I could comprehend was something about Joey being hurt, not responding and being flown to Boise. I was an hour away from Erin, but only 20 minutes from Boise, so we headed to the hospital.
After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity Erin and Ryan arrived at the hospital. I knew the moment the nurse asked Ryan to leave the room so the doctors could talk to us that whatever was wrong he had done it. He was the cause for my grandson to be injured. My son Stan arrived just before the doctors came in. The three of us listened as they told us of Joey's condition. No brain activity. Severe fracture to his head. Not caused by a simple fall.
Then Erin and I were escorted back to the room where Joey was. Police in the hallway, police in his room. As I turned the corner a former co-worker of mine appeared, he realized that the baby in the room was my grandson and his eyes filled with teas as he reached out for me.
So tiny, so precious, our sweet sweet boy. Life as we knew it was gone. Joey was gone.