Surviving Eleanor: A Daughter's Rebellion

to the curb, its blue and red lights flashing across the faces of the gawking neighbors. A uniformed officer, his name tag reading "Miller," stepped o

ene-me, disheveled and crying; my mother, putting on the performance of

rd him. "It's my daughter, Sarah. She's not well. S

my torn shirt and the terrified look on my fac

id to my mother, holding up a hand. The

to speak past the

break-in," he said gently. "C

the animal feed. I told him about my mother unlocking the door for Mark, about him breaking it down when I t

, my voice trembling. "She was going

e. I could see the skepticism in his eyes when I mentioned

he gestured toward Mark, "broke d

"She was going to hurt herself! Mark was just trying

ze shifting to Mark. "And you, sir?

look heroic. "I was just trying to

" he added, showing the bi

arp. "I'm going to need to t

tered door, the overturned furniture-was damning evidence. He examined the

mother, his voice l

dence," he said coolly. "Forcing your way into a locked room is breaking a

he curse! You don't understand!

officer, not a priest. Your personal beliefs don't give you or anyone else the rig

k, who was now lookin

id, his voice hard as steel, "your '

"What? You can't be serio

oom. You have a history of disorderly conduc

eyes found mine across the room. Th

azy bitch," he spat. "Your

irmly toward the door. "

ou with conspiracy and endangerment. For now, I'm issuing a temporary restrain

ng like a fish. The reality of legal consequences

y daughter! Whe

s right now." He handed me a card. "Miss, this is my number and the number for

what felt like an eternity, a tiny spark of hope ignited wit

a strength I didn't know I possessed. I looked directly at

clear and cold. "My father left it to

would never forget. It was a cocktail

g with a newfound purpose. As I walked toward the fr

ce suddenly small, pleading. "Do

her side of town. The restraining order was a piece of paper, but it felt like

ne buzzed. A text fr

to your own mother? After all I sa

s was far from over. She would find a way to get to me, not with fists