# 70: "I AM THE DADDY!"

PAGE # 70
Wednesday

12/21/11
Approximately 5:30 pm


I was wrapping Christmas presents when Shelley called: 

"I don't have good news."

"Okay," I said and waited to hear it.

"The interloper has signed the putative father registry."

It took me a moment to decipher the attorney's words.

"The bio dad signed the registry?  Meaning he has legally documented that he believes he is the father of Lily?" I asked for clarification.

"Yes."

"So what does this mean?"

"Well, it means he's trying to mess things up for Kendra.  He doesn't want this baby--he's just trying to mess up her life!"

"But maybe he really does want his baby?"  

I could practically see Shelley scowl over the phone.  Her words sounded like they maneuvered through a tight grimace; moreover, Shelley's tone indicated disgust with me:

"Now.  Wait a minute.  There is no evidence that he actually wants his baby.  Why would he want this baby?  Why would he want to support a child--he's a young guy."

"Maybe he just wants his baby cause it's his baby?"

"Now hold on, Jennifer!  If he wanted his baby, he would've done everything he needed to do to stop the adoption from happening.  It's not that hard.  He needed to to do three things.  Signing the putative father registry is only one of the three steps."

Shelley was becoming more and more agitated with my line of questioning.  And I was paying $500 an hour for these phone sessions!  Still, I pressed on:

"Okay, Shelley.  Please remind me of the other two steps then."

"As I've already told you...he needed to give her money to demonstrate financial support during the pregnancy.  He hasn't given her a penny!  All he'd need to do is send her a check for a hundred bucks, but he's sent nothing!"

"What if he sent her money but Kendra never got it?  And doesn't she have a restraining order against him?  Is he even allowed to send her mail?"

"Jennifer!  It's not just the money!  He also needs to submit a signed affidavit attesting to his ability and intent to raise a child!  He has not done that!"

"Is it possible that he doesn't know what he needs to do?"

"He was served legal papers before Lily's birth!  Everything he needed to know was in those papers!"

I thought about legal paperwork.  It's often confusing and difficult to read.

"Please bear with me Shelley, but is it possible that he was unable to fully comprehend the paperwork?"

"Well, then he could have sought his own legal counsel."

"Maybe he doesn't have the money to hire an attorney?"

"Jennifer!  You are not the lawyer here.  Please, you need to relax and let me handle the lawyering.  There is no way that man is ever getting this baby!  No way!  It's the letter of the law!"

To Be Continued...