By Adia Lee, TIWP Student

A little girl was brought into this world by two people who are supposed to love her, who are supposed to shield her from the bad and show her the good. That they no longer love each other should have meant a surplus of love to show her. Instead, she became a bargaining chip, leverage in a never-ending competition. No one ever won, but a daughter was lost. That’s okay, because when the shy, timid little girl stepped into the first day of kindergarten, she met me. I showed her how to make duct tape wallets and how to trip the bullies on the playground. I showed her the best houses to trick-or-treat at and how to make costumes at home since the child support was spent on a mani-pedi. She didn’t always know how to express love, but how can you learn what’s never been taught? And while her failure to learn that ultimately led to the end of our friendship, I still look back and hope she is receiving the love she always deserved, because when that happens, everything in the world feels right.