I was raised in such a way that I ended up terrified of my father through no fault of his own until I was in my mid-20s and had some serious therapizing and some situations that gave me opportunity to reevaluate my entire life and start fresh. Today I think he’s a wonderful man and father, and I regret every day how much damage was done to my relationship with him by my teenage self.

My stepfather on the other hand: I hope he never forgets what he did to me. I hope he regrets it every day. I hope it wakes him up at night from nightmares just like mine do. I wish him nothing but what I am left with as a result of his doing. Anxieties, hypervigilance, imposter syndrome, a lasting fear of a hand anywhere near the neck, flashbacks.