It took a long time to think of my dad as human. His presence loomed in my head as a larger-than-life monster who was guilty of sexually abusing girls when I was a teenager. The things he did drove me to the brink of suicidal thoughts throughout my life.

When my dad was arrested, it was a big headline on the front page of the small town paper in which I lived. The first day back at school after his arrest I felt the weight of the stares, heard the muffled whispers of accusation, and saw pointed fingers from my classmates. I ran away

My sophomore year of high school ended with me sitting in the principal’s office taking my finals. Before me sat the bubble sheet waiting for me to answer a myriad of questions; however, the prior week’s trauma made it virtually impossible to concentrate.