I was no longer the designated sacrifice.
I was a daughter.
A sister.
An aunt.
A student becoming a nurse.
A woman with keys in her pocket and boundaries in her bones.
Some people will say I should have opened Mr. Gideon’s door wider that first night.
Some will say I should have turned my family away completely.
Some will say blood deserves endless chances.
Some will say betrayal deserves none.
I have stopped trying to win that argument.
All I know is this.
A child should never be punished for the failures of adults.
And a responsible daughter should never be used as the family emergency fund until there is nothing left of her.
So I helped where I could stand to help.
I said no where my future began to bleed.
I learned that love without boundaries becomes a trap.
And boundaries without love become a locked door in the cold.
