LIFE IS

LIFE IS... a cheat.

"I would never cheat."

"If your stepmother were to ever cheat on me, I'd want it to be with a guy more attractive than me."

And oh, father, it wasn't your beloved wife, Andrea, that we needed to be worried about. It was you.

Little did you know how much she really did for the family while you were hiking and screwing your coworker behind everyone's back. Little did you know - or didn't, rather - that this "relationship" of yours would ruin the respect and outlook on yourself that your three children and two stepchildren had on you. Little did you know that your two little girls, Kady (age 10) and Harper (me, age 17) would be absolutely devastated that their father would be capable of doing something as heart-wrenching as this, because as far as we were concerned, you weren't pegged to be that kind of guy.

+ + +

"Everyone was wondering why she had his arm around her like that."

It was nearing the end of my junior year of high school, and I was walking to my car. I was originally planning on going to my father's after that long, excruciating, painful day of school, but that plan was quickly kicked to the side when I had gotten a text from my stepmother, Andrea.

It would be best if you didn't come over. Dad and I are fighting.

I was confused. They never fought to the point that I wasn't allowed there. They bickered back and forth, yes, but never actually fought...

Nonetheless, I listened to orders and typed back a simple: Okay, I love you - Emoji heart and everything.

Later that month, things must have escalated because Andrea sent me a text asking if I could come over and hang out with Kady because she has been sad. That was when I became worried and protective over K, because she was so innocent and I didn't want to see her suffer.

My dad was not home the day that I went over there. I don't know where he was, but Andrea sat me down and told me some rather unsettling news.

"I asked him if he had sex with her and he said yes."

I did not cry or anything because... well... I just couldn't. I didn't have it in me. I wasn't really sad at the time either. Just really confused. My dad? Dalton Galloway? Cheating on his wife? That couldn't be true. My dad was not that guy.

And for a couple of days after that, I didn't cry. I was a supportive sister, holding up my brother, Cory (age 14) and sister with as much strength as I could. K cried on my shoulder an awful lot, and it pained me to see her like that because she was tough. Andrea locked herself in her room and never came out, and it pained me to see her that way because she was so strong.

I was able to be so strong for everyone, but as that week went on, I couldn't be strong for myself. I let go all of the tears that I didn't know that needed to be shed in front of my mother, Amelia, my stepfather, Garrett, and my aunt, Edith when they sat me down and told me that it wasn't healthy for me to be the only support for my brother and sister - even Andrea. They let me know that I wasn't alone, and even though I knew they were there for me, it didn't feel like it. I still felt like I was the only one that was helping everyone cope. Even myself

I never let Andrea or K or Cory see me cry.

I needed to be strong for them.

They needed to be held.

I needed that, too, but I didn't want anyone to know that.

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