Tonesa Welch

Not my biological father.

Not my biological father.

father and you know as we grow older we do fit fine at all it's probably the wounds the warning not the love trauma bond yeah trauma bonding not thinking like I knew my um stepdad was I thought he was just the meanest person ever to me but I think as I grew older and understood he was always trying to protect me always and I thought I don't want to be protected I don't want to do this

father and you know as we grow older we do fit fine at all it's probably the wounds the warning not the love trauma bond yeah trauma bonding not thinking like I knew my um stepdad was I thought he was just the meanest person ever to me but I think as I grew older and understood he was always trying to protect me always and I thought I don't want to be protected I don't want to do this

You know, I was always fighting it.

You know, I was always fighting it.

Right. Yeah. So I didn't have the relationship with my biological dad until I was much older. Actually, they show it in the movie, and it was probably at that point, you know, I was much older. And my mom like, you know, maybe this is the missing part.

Right. Yeah. So I didn't have the relationship with my biological dad until I was much older. Actually, they show it in the movie, and it was probably at that point, you know, I was much older. And my mom like, you know, maybe this is the missing part.

Maybe this is what you need, you know.

Maybe this is what you need, you know.

Because it was a question. Why? Why didn't you come see me? Why didn't you love me? And he was like, he thought it was best once my mom married my stepdad because they got together when I was a baby and he thought it was best. But I'm thinking like, no, you thought it was best for you.

Because it was a question. Why? Why didn't you come see me? Why didn't you love me? And he was like, he thought it was best once my mom married my stepdad because they got together when I was a baby and he thought it was best. But I'm thinking like, no, you thought it was best for you.

Him. But it wasn't best for me. Right. You know, and after that, after I understood it, we talked about it. Then, you know, as I grew, you know, until he... we grew closer. So I had two amazing dads that even once we all got together, they became good friends. You know what I mean? Even when I went to prison, My biological dad didn't understand the whole lifestyle.

Him. But it wasn't best for me. Right. You know, and after that, after I understood it, we talked about it. Then, you know, as I grew, you know, until he... we grew closer. So I had two amazing dads that even once we all got together, they became good friends. You know what I mean? Even when I went to prison, My biological dad didn't understand the whole lifestyle.

And so we didn't tell him I was going to prison, but he got very ill when I was in prison. And my stepdad was the one that made sure that he wouldn't check on him all the time to let me know what was going on. So when I would call home... You know, if I don't know if anybody know about the prison phones, they say this whole recording.

And so we didn't tell him I was going to prison, but he got very ill when I was in prison. And my stepdad was the one that made sure that he wouldn't check on him all the time to let me know what was going on. So when I would call home... You know, if I don't know if anybody know about the prison phones, they say this whole recording.

So I had my nephew on the other side with my biological dad. My dad, he's got the phone, and they're like, okay. Once the recording said this call is from an inmate of such and such, they would have my biological dad, the phone, who was very ill at this time, to let me say what I had to say until the day he died. He still didn't know I was in prison.

So I had my nephew on the other side with my biological dad. My dad, he's got the phone, and they're like, okay. Once the recording said this call is from an inmate of such and such, they would have my biological dad, the phone, who was very ill at this time, to let me say what I had to say until the day he died. He still didn't know I was in prison.

oh my gosh he didn't even realize that he went into the dementia and then he uh passed away before i came home that had to have been as heartbreaking as it was very heartbreaking i wasn't able to uh go home to his burial you know that was heartbreaking that was another breaking point for me as realizing like you put yourself here you didn't get to see you know And pass away.

oh my gosh he didn't even realize that he went into the dementia and then he uh passed away before i came home that had to have been as heartbreaking as it was very heartbreaking i wasn't able to uh go home to his burial you know that was heartbreaking that was another breaking point for me as realizing like you put yourself here you didn't get to see you know And pass away.