Daddy Don't Go

So, it was drop-off day yesterday at their mother's house. I was late because we were having so much fun at the morning playgroup at Susana's that I kinda lost track of time. Then I had to drive from Susana's over to their mother's house, of which there is no direct route and I'd never travelled through that part of Boston before. Needless to say, I took a wrong turn and ended up on the back roads through Malden. And wouldn't you know, while I was still trying to figure out how to get back to a main road to figure out where I was, she calls me on my cell phone asking me where I was - and telling me I was late (obviously!).

We finally made it to her house. It was pouring outside (the remnants of Hurricane Noel), and Leo decides he doesn't want to leave the car - he would rather stay with me. Daniel is excited to get out of the car because he sees his Nana's car in the driveway (my ex-mother-in-law). But even with that, Leo wouldn't budge.

So I get Daniel through the rain into the door, then go back to get Leo. He won't leave the car saying he wants to come back home with me. I'm being as positive and supportive as I can be, telling him that his Nana has come to see him and they are going to do all sorts of fun things. Leo still won't go. I finally reached in and picked him up - and carried him through the rain into the house. He wouldn't go up the stairs as he curled up on the floor of the breezeway. His mother called down to him from the second floor landing. Leo said he didn't want to see her, he just wanted to be with his daddy. She asked me to carry him up the stairs, so I did. He fought all the way and was crying. I finally got him to the door and gave him a hug. He held on to me tight and said "Daddy don't go." I told him I had to leave, it was now his time with mommy. He said he didn't want to be with mommy, he wanted to be with me. His mother tried to tell him it would be OK and he would be seeing his daddy in four days. She finally asked me to just hand him over to her which I did. Leo screamed. I told him I loved him and I would see him soon. The last words I heard him say were, again, "Daddy don't go."