Are you crazy?

Hooray! I'm out of school! And as a reward, my place of employment is allowing me to work full-time, PLUS Saturdays too! WaHOOooo..oooo...ewwww. More money can't hurt, right? Even though there is almost nothing I would love more than to sleep for two weeks.

My poor coworkers had to put up with my cold shoulder, messy hair, and sunken eyes for almost a month. I can feel the relief of everybody back in production now that I'm on break. Angela, my manager, compares our relationship (ours, meaning the collective group of five women in production) to that of sisters' relationships. There are days we could strangle each other, and other days when we're laughing and easy breezy.

That's why I'm a little troubled today. Clara, our patternmaker, informed us that she would be leaving at the end of July to move to Roswell, New Mexico with her two young daughters to live with a man (almost 20 years her elder) she met on an internet dating site. *my stomach turning* Her reasoning is that he will "help me with my girls." That seems to be the reasoning he's baited her with. As a single mom, she is very weighed down with the pressure of providing for her small family and this is the solution she has come up with. Clara has spent very limited time with this man but is still moving forward with putting her AND HER DAUGHTERS in a stangers care. Up to this point, everything I have heard about him has sounded so shady. But I tried to just listen and stay out of her personal choices. However, after today's news, I could hold back no longer.

Me: "Won't it still be hard in New Mexico since you won't have your family to help you with picking the girls up from school and making dinner for them while you're at work?"

Clara: "No, he doesn't work (supposedly he is a retired college professor). He will help with that."

*red flags are flying"

Me: "Do you trust him with your daughters, Clara?"

Clara: "No, not really"

(Is your jaw dropped yet?)

"I hear all this stuff about pedifiles so it worries me."

Me: "Clara, if you don't completely trust him with your girls you are making a mistake. You could ruin their lives! It only takes one incident and you could jepordize their happiness for life! This is just stupid. You don't even know him except that he says he wants to help you with your girls."

Clara: "Yeah." *Clara stares into space* "But we'll see," she counters jovially. "I'm really tired from working so much. I can't do it anymore. And he said he'll pay the mortgage."

Somebody stop this train wreck! Right?! I feel like I'm watching a mother feed her children to a ravenous wolf. Not just watching it happen as she looks on, but actually facillitating it. And the mother is completely emotionless.

What can I do? I can't really call CPA. But I'm considering asking Clara for as much information on him as I can so I can get a background on him. What is his address? Is he a registered sex offender? I've even thought of referring her to LDS Family Services for counsel. I keep imagining myself flying over to her house, pounding down the door, and having a sit down talk with her to make sure she understands exactly how stupid she is being. Her mother was a Catholic nun and there has got to be a belief in God hiding somewhere inside her. I want to tell her that God has entrusted her with two of his most precious children and expects her to protect them from whatever dangers lerk. And tell her to hope for better things. There is so much I want to tell her. I feel like the state should be able to take her kids away for this. Maybe that is what she is going for. MADNESS! What should I do?