After my hour and a half drive back to McKinney I make some calls. I call and leave messages for the Mexican consulate to see if maybe they can provide Cesar with his ID while he is being detained. If you haven't ever dealt with the Mexican consulate you should know it's worse than the DMV. Getting an ID simply renewed can take months because appointments are never open. You can't just go down and wait like the DMV you have to have an appointment. I leave messages and send emails. Then move forward. If they get back, fine. If they don't, that's fine too. I'll just have to try something else.
After that I start to contemplate about the fact that I called two separate counties and their requirements for what type of ID they would take was different. So I start thinking of "immigrant friendly" counties. I call Denton first and I get a bite! They inform me that as long as I give them a certified copy of his birth certificate, I should be good. When Cesar calls I inform him of the positive news and that I would be making the long trek to Denton that afternoon after work. Keep in mind I was in Alvarado that morning and then in Denton that afternoon. Having to drive back to Plano from Denton. If you are not familiar with North Texas this is roughly about four in a half hours of driving. In a normal week I only drive about one hour a day, and that is in traffic.
I travel to Denton that afternoon and wait for an hour and a half for the birth certificate to get translated. Finally I am free to go and I head back home to Plano. It's 7:00pm before I make it home. I have literally be gone since 5:50am. It's been a REALLY LONG DAY. I get home, run the dogs outside and collapse on the couch. There is a silver lining to this dark, DARK cloud. Now I have to wait until the next day to go to Denton. Of course Cesar and I talk before bed for about an hour: hopes, dreams, I miss you's etc.
I wake up the next morning PUMPED and nervous at the same time. I know if I can't get the marriage license here I will have keep trying, but the sooner the better and it is now Friday. If I don't get it today... I have to wait until next week and what if everything crumbles again? I go to work, get whatever needs to be done out of the way. Then I head out to Denton. I walk into the county clerks office clutching my folder of documents as the wind whips around me. I make it inside and walk to a ladies desk who signaled me over. Me, being who I am, got so caught up in everything else I forgot to fill out the application. So she sends me to a computer to do so. I present her with all the documents and instead of turning me away she starts typing. A relief washes over me. I hold my breath until she takes my payment and gives me the licensee. I never thought something so simple could be so hard and so life changing. I immediately called the Chaplin at the jail when I got to my car. He informs me that I need to drive back to the jail to sign some documents attesting I am a willing participant. Then he will have to submit that to ICE. He tells me it can be as early as same day or as long as a week. On average it's about 24 hours. I'm not worried about it. We set up a time for us to meet at 4:00pm that afternoon. Another day of driving to Denton and Alvarado, sigh. It's okay though, I have finally made progress. I inform the attorney that I have gotten it and he tells me he will start getting the bond request together. I go to Alvarado and get the documents signed. We have them submitted on Friday evening. It's finally done, one of the most grueling experiences is out of the way.
So as our week comes to a close I can say we have faced some really high highs and some really low lows. But we were ending it on a high note and I couldn't ask for more. Our marriage request is pending ICE approval and I will FOR SURE start harassing the Chaplin on Monday morning. My kiddos were suppose to be with me this weekend but the youngest has he flu and I'm pregnant so I am spending another weekend by myself. At least I am in a better place this Saturday than I was last. Still sad, still missing my amazing man. But things are starting to look up and I can breath a little easier. I even cried this morning because it was the first time in a week that I could eat actual food.
