Jackson Fischer

Dad had never really hated her.

He never called her a bad parent.

And he knew that she'd never actually physically hurt anyone to feed her compulsion.

It wasn't about that.

But dad was a hard man.

He wasn't a forgiver.

And he didn't like weakness.

So Audrey got kind of my life forever.

When dad was only about 12, her brother, his uncle, died in a really terrible, bloody boating accident.

She was right there in the boat when it happened.

And after that, she got far worse.

Dad told Mom once about some time just before he ran away when Audrey didn't even get out of bed for a long time.

And one day, Dad remembered looking in on her and seeing blood smeared all over her mouth.

And he ran away from home that same night, and he never really went back.

Mom made me swear I'd never tell Dad about what she told me.

He'd flip.

But a few days later, he sent me a note in the mail.

It had a picture with it.

He just wanted me to look at a photo before I considered bringing Audrey into my life at all.

It was this old black and white picture from the 50s.