𝐇𝐞𝐲 𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚 - 𝐓 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭

02

FIVE YEARS LATER

September 2001

Samara,

can you believe we've been sending these letters for 5 years now!? it's unbelievable. 

honestly i thought your dad had gotten over all of that stuff when he went to that center place and you moved in with Mr Kears for that year,  do you still talk to him now your dad is back? 

honestly i sometimes wish you could come live with me here, i think we'd have so much fun. you can bring Leo and Nickolai too, i'm sure mom won't mind you all staying with us for a while. 

what's high school like? i want to know so i know what to expect when i go up, it's quite scary really, i'm not a massive fan of the people in middle school, they're all bullies and i don't want to be there most the time. 

happy birthday, by the way.

Taylor x 

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September 2001

Taylor, 

5 years! that is crazy.

i too thought dad was better, he told me he was but i saw him drinking with his mates again and i just don't know what to do, I spoke to my social worker about what would happen if he was doing it again but she says theres nothing they can do other than put me in a care home and i really don't want that so i pretend that it was all fine. it's not fine. 

i wish i could come to America too, maybe when i'm older i'll be able to live with you but i can't get there now and it's not fair on you mum either, she has you and Austin to worry about. Leo has offered to let me live with him but his parents have 5 kids and i don't want to add to any stress they could have, i really don't want to burden everyone T.

high school is strange, i think i'm beginning to find my footing a bit now, its weird having to go to lots of different classrooms for different classes instead of having them all in one... but it's fun to try and find everything. i don't know if your high school is the same as ours as we finish high school at 16 in year 11 and i heard in America you're in high school till 18 - that sounds horrible! 

i don't talk to Mr K anymore, i tried to contact him but my dad took my emergency phone away and removed his number and i don't remember it. he was great though, i miss him. 

thank you for the friendship bracelet, i'll wear it forever 

Samara x

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January 2002 

Samara, 

happy new year, 

christmas and thanksgiving was crazy this year, mom went all out and i still don't know why, they got me more sheet music paper though! and a new journal so i can learn to write songs - i'm really excited. 

i put you in my thanksgiving speech this year, i'm so grateful for our five years of friendship, you're the only person i fully trust to tell everything and you're across the ocean, is it weird that i miss you and we haven't met? 

sometimes i wish you lived closer so we could go to the park and get ice cream together like all of my friends do, because i'd rather do it with you than them to be honest. 

i promise you, you are not a burden. no one thinks you are a burden. we just want you to be happy and safe. you mean everything to me, and Leo, Nickolai and loads of people, i promise. 

i'm glad you liked your present,

Taylor x 

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March 2002

Taylor, 

i'm sorry i stopped writing, i wanted to, god so much has happened, my dad took all my things cause i called the police on him. i had to, it hurt so much. but they said it was all a big misunderstanding and left me with him, so he took everything. 

i'm okay now though, i'm at school and i'm going to ask Nickolai to send this to you, can you reply to his address please? i'll put it on the bottom of the letter. 

i'm so sorry T, i love you,

Samara xx

p.s - Nico's Adress

Nickolai Burns 
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UK