I thought we had it bad. Mother never disappeared and my dad made sure we always had a home. I can't imagine how much worse your situation was than ours. And, I always thought ours was really bad.

I practically raised my three sisters. Mother was usually holed up in her bedroom with her very own air conditioner, reading Harlequin romance after romance and sucking back creamsicles – she'd come out just long enough to swing the belt because we woke her or she discovered one of creamsicles (or some other topshelf food that was only hers) missing. Or, she was gadding about town while were were not allowed outside when she wasn't home. My father, when he wasn't on overseas duty with the Navy, worked three or four jobs, so was rarely home except to sleep.

My husband and I moved from Misery back to NC (where I am from) to be near my grandparents.