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The violence continued. While my aunt was in prison (more on that story here), I took care of the two cats she left behind. One of them wasn’t doing well, and eventually, it crossed the rainbow bridge. I was heartbroken, but then my father told me he was going to get me a new kitten.
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My grandfather noticed something was missing from the barn—his antique electric fencer. He asked if I would go down to the trailer and see if my dad had taken it. The short walk from my grandparents’ house to the trailer felt longer than it was. I dreaded every step. I never knew what kind of
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Growing up in Meridian, Idaho, during the 90s, my father was well known by the police department and is instantly recognizable by his thick, dark hair and the biggest permed mullet in town. His signature look included a full beard and a cigarette in hand. He loved laughing at his own jokes and flirted shamelessly
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After the night my dad refused to let me go with my mom, everything changed. I started asking questions. What really happened when I was little? Why did she leave? Why didn’t she come back? Why wouldn’t he let me go with her that night? He never answered my questions until now. And then he
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I was 12 years old, desperate, and living in survival mode. I was living in a trailer on my grandparent’s property with my father, who was addicted to meth and other drugs. He was paranoid, abusive, and couldn’t hold a job. It was one of the scariest times of my life. I longed for connection—especially