We had just come home from church. I threw on a pair of comfy jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed the baby, my bag, and my keys and told Hubs I was headed to the grocery store to pick up his prescriptions and a few items I needed for tonight’s supper. He stayed behind to feed Noise and Funk lunch.
As I was pulling in to the grocery store, my mom called. We got to chatting, as we often do, about nothing that important. My mom and I probably talk ten hours a week, but I’d have a hard time telling you exactly what about. She’s just fun to talk to.
I walked in, grabbed a cart, and headed straight to the pharmacy– ours is notoriously slow, and I knew that I would have some dawdling to do before the meds were ready. After I put in Hubs’ prescription, I continued to chat with my mom, weaving my way through the aisles and throwing random things in my cart. I wandered the make-up aisle (mine is getting old with disuse since I started staying home,) the baby food aisle (let’s try meats soon!) and the chip aisle (for my 100th batch of pico de gallo of the year.) My mom and I continued to chatter as I moseyed.
I’m not sure when it hit me.
What was missing.
What wasn’t sitting in the cart gumming my fingers.
I never got the baby out of the van.
Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod.
OH MY GOD.
I NEVER GOT THE BABY OUT OF THE VAN!
I ran. I ran like that building was on fire. I remember hitting the parking lot at a dead run and thinking fleetingly that if I wasn’t careful I would get hit by a car. Then thinking to myself that if something happened to that baby I would want to be hit by a car. I reached the van and tore open the door. I heard him bitching as the door swung open– not crying, but clearly dissatisfied.
Terrified, I looked into the van. He looked up at me, and smiled.
He never even cried.
He was probably in the car, alone, for a good ten minutes. And all I could do was apologize, over and over, kiss his sweet head, his drool-ly cheeks, and his soft hands.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I will never forget you again.”
And that’s how it happens. On a hotter day, or a colder one, in less time, or in more, it’s that easy to make a mistake that you can never take back. We’ve all read the stories about the parent who, in a rush or distracted, leaves their child unattended in a vehicle while the worse transpires.
The only thing that separated me from that parent today was a luck of season– summer heat or winter chill, and the outcome could have been unthinkable.
I’ll admit to thinking to myself when I read those stories, “how could they not realize that their baby was in the back seat? How could this happen?”
This is how it happens. It could have happened to me.
8 comments
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October 5, 2009 at 2:08 am
Heather
Oh Dawn. I’m sorry this happened at all. It’s scary to think of what might have happened. I’m glad he’s okay.
October 5, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Kelly
Whew!!
October 5, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Abby
How absolutuely terrifying. I locked the kids in the car on a super hot day once, but at least I knew I’ddone it as soon as it happened. I had accidentally hit the door lock button, threw my keys in the front seat and walked around to get in and realized how stupid I was. They cried and cried because they were stuck in there for a good 20 minutes while I waited for my FIL to get his slow ass there with the spare key. He thought it was funny. I did not.
But I do recall with the first one nearly forgetting her in the car on a constant basis. I just wasn’t used to hauling a baby around with me yet. I can easily see how it could happen, espeically when they’re quiet.
October 5, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Meredith
How scary!!!!! I can’t imagine the feelings surging through you at that moment. Ugh.
October 6, 2009 at 12:41 pm
The Devoted Dad
That is quite scary. It does make you realize that parents are parents, and sometimes we get so distracted, that even the worst can happen. It’s a wake up call that in fact, it happens- and not always to “somebody else”. Awareness is key, though- I think. When I have read stories on the news, I have thought, wow, I better remember the baby. Thank God everybody was o.k. -Jason
October 8, 2009 at 6:44 am
Rachael
What a scary moment. I’m glad it was okay. It just goes to show that things happen in life, and we should all be slower to judge.
November 2, 2009 at 8:01 am
mom, again
Once my drop off schedule got reversed because daughter #1 had to be at school extra early for a field trip. I walked her in, brought daughter #2 back out to the car, put my purse in the back and buckled her into the car seat. Then, as I usually did after leaving daughter#1’s school, I drove to work. Now, this was in the old days, when car seats might be put in the front seat of the car and ours was. I was in the habit of tossing my purse into the car seat when a child wasn’t in it. So, I pulled into the dark corner of the lowest level of the parking deck that is reserved for employees at the store, reached over to grab my purse and felt, a small child sitting there. I actually asked my 14 month old, out loud, ‘What are you doing there?!’
Since then, whenever one of those sad stories is being reported, and people ask, “how could they forget their child?” , I tell this story. It’s easy as can be. Do not be angry with or blame the parents. Do not blame them. It’s easy as can be.
November 5, 2009 at 3:22 am
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