And you wouldn’t be alone, because, back then, trust me, neither did I. So there was no unhappy ending to this particular story, you’ll be pleased to know. No tearful parting. No wrenching of any heartstrings. No pain. Though I have to admit, I shed more tears over Tyler than I think I ever have, before or since. Mike and I were invited to a special panel hearing, a couple of weeks into the new year, where we were formally re-assessed for approval. It went better than we had hoped: we were approved to foster one long-term child and up to two other children; either short term, on our programme, or, where required, just for respite. This was important. It meant that should we be needed to take in siblings we could take both rather than see them split up. Tyler still lives with us (yes, I’ve kept him a secret up until now) and he continues to thrive. His brother, Grant, comes to visit regularly and we are now all very close – he’s even joined us for a family holiday a couple of times.
