You Call it Misery, I'll Call it Love
Epilogue
My life has totally changed since the trial. For one, my life is completely normal in some sense. I live with Darren and Tess and her husband. They have welcomed me into their family with open arms. For this I’m great full. I have my own room above the garage. One weekend after the trial, Darren and I painted the walls purple, my favorite color. Tess bought me a huge bed and other furniture for my room, which makes it completely mine.
The sentencing hearing went well. My father has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. My mother and sister received similar sentences. They will spend the next fifty years in prison and then will be released under a lifetime of parole. No one has dared to contact me since the trial. Hopefully, they all realize that they have done wrong. If they didn’t, they better damn well realize that soon.
Darren and his family have done so much for me. I consider them my new family. They have absolutely no idea how much they now mean to me. They are my saviors. They took me under their wing and have brought me closer into the world. They have shown me that it is okay to tell someone when something is wrong. Before all of this, I would have kept everything to myself. Now, I am more willing to share how my day went or what I think of something.
My relationship with Darren has changed to some extent. Now that I live with him, we obviously see each other daily. At first, when my move into his home became permanent, he wouldn’t leave my side. Even if I went into the bathroom, he’d stand outside the door. He’d be the first and last person I’d see during my day. He still is. I find myself more open with him now then I ever have been. We’re always talking about something. Tess sometimes reminds us that it’s okay to not talk and just be. But that doesn’t stop us. We’re always talking and nothing will change that.
As for moving on with my life, I have started a new chapter in my life. I’m attending a community college. I’m aiming to achieve a degree in psychology. After going through all of this, I realize how many people go through it on a daily basis. Millions of teens around the world suffer from some form of abuse. Whether it be, physical, mental, sexual, emotional, or simply negligence on their parents’ part. The bottom line is, there are millions of people out there who need some form of help. Being a victim of that abuse, I want to help those who need it the most. Helping people who are being abused will bring me closer to closure with what is now my past.
I know I will always think back to this part of my life. I will think about how my life could be different if I didn’t run away that night and spend that night on the forest floor. When I think of it now, I know that something worse would have happened to me if I didn’t get out then. I probably would have ended up dead. In order to heal my wounds compleletly, I have been seeing a therapist on a weekly basis. We talk about almost everything, not just the abuse I suffered. Along with Darren, my therapist as also helped me be more open with not only other people, but myself.
I know I have a long way to go and I know I will always remember this part of my life. It is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I’m gaining the tools to help not only myself, but others as well. I’m hoping to go far with these tools. I know that no matter how far I go, I will always have my Darren at my side. He has vowed to stay with me for the rest of my life and I have vowed to stay with him for the rest of him. We’re not married, yet. But we know that we will be soon.
The bottom line is, I’m looking forward to the rest of my life. I love who I’m becoming and I love who I’m with. I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity of life before me. I know that I will take only the best from it. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I can’t wait to see what it brings me.
The sentencing hearing went well. My father has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. My mother and sister received similar sentences. They will spend the next fifty years in prison and then will be released under a lifetime of parole. No one has dared to contact me since the trial. Hopefully, they all realize that they have done wrong. If they didn’t, they better damn well realize that soon.
Darren and his family have done so much for me. I consider them my new family. They have absolutely no idea how much they now mean to me. They are my saviors. They took me under their wing and have brought me closer into the world. They have shown me that it is okay to tell someone when something is wrong. Before all of this, I would have kept everything to myself. Now, I am more willing to share how my day went or what I think of something.
My relationship with Darren has changed to some extent. Now that I live with him, we obviously see each other daily. At first, when my move into his home became permanent, he wouldn’t leave my side. Even if I went into the bathroom, he’d stand outside the door. He’d be the first and last person I’d see during my day. He still is. I find myself more open with him now then I ever have been. We’re always talking about something. Tess sometimes reminds us that it’s okay to not talk and just be. But that doesn’t stop us. We’re always talking and nothing will change that.
As for moving on with my life, I have started a new chapter in my life. I’m attending a community college. I’m aiming to achieve a degree in psychology. After going through all of this, I realize how many people go through it on a daily basis. Millions of teens around the world suffer from some form of abuse. Whether it be, physical, mental, sexual, emotional, or simply negligence on their parents’ part. The bottom line is, there are millions of people out there who need some form of help. Being a victim of that abuse, I want to help those who need it the most. Helping people who are being abused will bring me closer to closure with what is now my past.
I know I will always think back to this part of my life. I will think about how my life could be different if I didn’t run away that night and spend that night on the forest floor. When I think of it now, I know that something worse would have happened to me if I didn’t get out then. I probably would have ended up dead. In order to heal my wounds compleletly, I have been seeing a therapist on a weekly basis. We talk about almost everything, not just the abuse I suffered. Along with Darren, my therapist as also helped me be more open with not only other people, but myself.
I know I have a long way to go and I know I will always remember this part of my life. It is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I’m gaining the tools to help not only myself, but others as well. I’m hoping to go far with these tools. I know that no matter how far I go, I will always have my Darren at my side. He has vowed to stay with me for the rest of my life and I have vowed to stay with him for the rest of him. We’re not married, yet. But we know that we will be soon.
The bottom line is, I’m looking forward to the rest of my life. I love who I’m becoming and I love who I’m with. I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity of life before me. I know that I will take only the best from it. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I can’t wait to see what it brings me.
♠ ♠ ♠
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