Jill from Scary Mommy instant messaged me yesterday and begged me not to wait for Ginger, but to call the family myself. I told her I couldn’t, that I already called on Saturday to wish them well and emailed Ginger and that now I just wait.
She then went on and on about how I absolutely MUST call them myself, that they NEED to hear the desperation, they NEED to hear the love, they NEED to hear me. After all they’ve only had Harry for two days…if I wait much longer they’d get even more attached and my chances of getting hairy back would lessen.
I still couldn’t do it. I felt stupid. I was a chicken. I was embarrassed.
And then my phone rang.
It was Jill.
CALL. THEM. NOW!
Can I be clear that I don’t even like calling Dominoe’s for pizza? Or the doctor for a well child check up? I don’t know what it is about conversations over the phone, but I readily admit I’m weird about it under ordinary circumstances…let alone under psychotic needy ones.
I was all, “what if you call and just pretend to be me???” (you know. because that’s normal). And Jill was all, “dude. Give me the number.”
And then she called.
She left a message on the answering machine that went something like this:
“Hi, this is Kathy…Harry’s psycho foster mom. I’m really sorry to bother you, I feel really stupid, but our family is devastated without him. My girls are upset and I can’t shake this nagging feeling that I made a huge mistake and Harry is meant for our home. If you feel strongly that Harry is perfect for you and you’re attached and don’t want to give him up then please disregard this message. But if there’s anything I can do, reimburse you for whatever you’ve spent or anything, I would love to bring Harry back into our home. Thank you so much, and again, I apologize for making this uncomfortable.”
I thanked Jill profusely for saying EXACTLY what I wanted to say, but apparently don’t have balls enough to say it.
The Dad called back and left an equally uncomfortable message on MY machine and it went something like this:
“Ahem….ummm, yeah hi Kathy, this is so and so, Toby….er…I mean…Harry’s new owner and I got your message. I think it’s important that you know that I do feel for what you and your family are going through….I did check up on Ginger’s website and it does say we’re allowed a grace period of 10 to 14 days before we’re required to make a permanent decision. So far everything is going great…the dog is doing fine. You know…if for whatever reason…and I don’t foresee there will be one…but if for whatever reason Harry does not work out with our family…you will be the first person we call. I figure around Thanksgiving will be a good time to make that assessment…again I don’t foresee we will have any problems with him, but I can let you know at that time.”
Sigh.
Before you all jump all over this man for not having a heart for me and my kids…but mostly just me…imagine how difficult I’m making life for them right now. His wife and daughter saw Harry and fell in love with him. They made a decision to pay $550 and take that guy home just two hours after meeting him. I had two WEEKS to adopt Harry and didn’t do it. I’m mad at myself.
I’m a little disappointed. A little in the family who adopted him…a lot in myself. I just shouldn’t have let it get to this point. I’m slightly irritated at the “by the book” response I got from the Dad, and while I’m not his biggest fan right now…I bet his fifteen year old daughter things he’s a hero.
Harry’s in a good home if a family is willing to ignore the pleas of a crazed mother and her three small children in order to hang on to him. They must really love him.
But.
I still want him back. I don’t know what is wrong with me…I’ve never been this absorbed with thoughts of a dog before. I have no choice but to assume I may be pregnant with triplets and my hormones are spiraling out of control. Or I’m having a midlife crisis…but instead of buying a fancy car and finding a high school aged boyfriend, I am instead obsessed with a parti poo….from Hollywood apparently.
The only way it will work out in my favor is if for some reason Harry and the family’s current dog do not get along.
Sooooooooo you’re saying I have a chance!?!
I’m not keeping my fingers crossed….this family seems determined to make it work…and Harry will forever be “the one that got away.”
Amen.
Carol Betz says
You poor girl! I’m sitting here crying. I give you credit, I could have never even been a foster parent for any animal. I would end up having to buy a ranch with about 100 acres because I would probabyadopt every one of the animals that I was a foster parent to! My daughter in jr high had to do a civics project that they had to find a cause and raise money for it. She picked the humane society. We had to volunteer for about a month. I left every time in tears because I wanted every dog and cat in the building.