Paige and Dr. Shepherd recommended that I not be discharged to my mother’s home. Harrison told them he would take me in a heartbeat. Because I was eighteen, the court listened to my wishes.
When I was finally released, I went to a hotel with Harrison while we waited for the legal paperwork to be finalized. He took care of me in a way I had never experienced. He tracked my medicine and made sure I was comfortable.
He told me that being cared for was the minimum I deserved. My mother called and told me I would regret my choice, but I didn’t believe her. I moved to Charlotte with Harrison and started a new life.
I eventually went to the university and studied to become a social worker myself. I wanted to be the person who asked the right questions. I wanted to be the one who believed the children who had been taught to stay silent.
Years later, I received a call from Meredith. She told me she was sorry and admitted she should have taken me to the hospital. It wasn’t enough to fix the past, but it was enough to close the chapter.
I looked in the mirror and saw a man who was no longer a victim. I saw a man who had been saved by a text and a father who never gave up. I was finally home.
THE END.
