Define Family

Negative Outcomes

CHAPTER 1

My mother Lauren had my oldest sister Alyssa at 17.

Due to being so young.. Lauren wasn't very mature, as well as not being ready to be a mother just yet.

Everyone thought she would do just fine considering how strong of a woman she already was at that age.

She might have been a scummy person but she was tough, strong willed and put up with no one's drama or bullshit.

She never had got the chance to be a teenager.

Her teen years were so short lived.. or so everyone thought.

She then proved everyone wrong.. they all believed she would be a great mother.. a kind and loving one.

That's not even close to what she truly was.

My sister Alyssa always believed that it would get better before it gets worse because her life had already hit rock bottom..

She was wrong.

It got a lot worse, Alyssa didn't even know that it was possible to get that bad.

Dealing with all my mother's bullshit drove Alyssa unhappy, depressed, and stressed out to the fullest.

Alyssa was unhappy living with my mother in the projects because my mother was never home.

Alyssa's father had never been in the picture, so he wasnt even an option.

Yet, there was a sort of "Safe Haven" for Alyssa, through all the bullshit there was one place she could always go.

Whenever she wanted to she was welcome with open arms at Nana and Papas house, our mothers parents.

Even though she had Nana and Papa on her side.. My grandparents didn't want the responsibility of raising Alyssa.

So Alyssa was alone dealing with my mother.

That was until my mother had yet another child from a different father at the age of 22.

Finally Alyssa wasn't alone to go through this.

Mike was born June 6, just months after Alyssa had realized my mothers action was indeed not Alyssa's fault.

She was only 5, but she had to grow up at a very young age.. not by choice but because she and Mike wouldn't survive if she didn't.

Mike grew up before Alyssa's eyes, he was very smart as was Alyssa. She had taught him right from wrong.

My mother was always working or out with friends so Alyssa had to babysit Mike most the time.

Alyssa thought it couldn't get any worse, but it did.

By this time Alyssa was 12, and Michael was 7.

My mother was pregnant again by a different man than either of the first two father's of the other children she had.

This time she had me.

Yes, my dad was in the picture.. but he wasn't picture perfect. He smoked a lot of weed and that was his way of escape from anxiety and depression.

I was the best thing that ever happened to him. I changed him for the better.

He had almost missed my birth, but just made it only two minutes before I was brought into this world.

I was born on June 18th , just weeks after Mike's 7th birthday.

I was the quiet one out of all my mother's kids, I was mostly just there.. in the background.

Alyssa was the kind of kid to read a lot of books for fun and Mike was a sports player due to his father.

See Mike's dad was in the picture for him, as was my dad.. me and Mike were lucky.

Unlike Alyssa's father.. Mike's dad and my dad would do anything for Mike, Alyssa and I.

Mike's dad and my dad were in all of our lives more than my mother was.. and we lived with her.

If that isn't a red flag I honestly don't know what is.