The Letter I Never Finished Reading
A month later, a letter arrived from my mother.
The envelope carried her unmistakable handwriting.
Inside, she accused me of raising Lily to believe she was a victim.
She insisted that family should always remain united no matter what disagreements occurred.
I stopped reading halfway through.
The letter burned quickly in the fireplace.
Because family is not defined by shared blood.
Family is defined by safety.
By kindness.
By the simple rule that no one should ever call a child an animal.
