It was 2008 and my life was great, or so I thought. I had two parents who loved me dearly. I remember at the beginning of the year my parents sat my sister and me down on the couch and told us they were thinking about having another baby. We were so excited about having another sibling. As a couple months passed we all sat in the living room together and my parents told us that we would not be getting a new sibling. They explained the miscarriage and we were heartbroken. That’s when life just completely went downhill. As weeks passed and I laid in bed at night thinking, I would hear my parents argue about any and everything. The next thing I knew my dad was going to stay with his sister in Texarkana. I remember my parents telling my sister and me that he was just going to go stay with my Aunt Julie for a while. As the weeks passed by I only saw my dad a couple times. Then it was August, and my parents were getting a divorce. They told us they loved us so much, but they just didn’t love each other anymore and were better off separated. As to be expected we were upset. Who wouldn’t be sad when their parents just got a divorce? I just carried on with life and did my best to be happy and not break down and cry. So of course I went and saw my dad every other weekend to be the happy child that everyone expected, me to be.

As soon as I thought my life was getting better, it didn’t. Just like always I would go see my dad, but now he would leave my sister and me at his apartment while he went out to go drink and have fun with some girl. He would always say, “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Just call me if you need anything.” Before all the girls and the drinking he would take us out to eat and have fun. Sometimes he seemed irritable when we went out. Or sometimes he would just make excuses to stay at the apartment and sleep. One night when we got to my dads my mom had called my dad saying that a tree fell on our house. Luckily my mom wasn’t home, but I was still worried about my dog that I’ve had for forever. That Sunday when I got home we packed up our clothes and headed over to my grandmas. It was stressful living at my grandmas. I normally got what I wanted from her, but it the air was tense at that house. My mom and grandma didn’t always get along, but what kid never fought with their mom. I went to school while everyone asked me about my house.

Months passed and our house was fixed and we were moving back. Life was finally getting better. We were making it without my dad and my mom had a couple boyfriends here and there. Some lasted long enough to meet my sister and me. A year had gone by and it was 2010. I remember being at the lake with my family when my mom met a guy that she would marry one day but didn’t know it. He was a family friend. They hung out a lot and started dated. Next thing I knew they were going to get married. I didn’t have a problem with the guy. He seemed pretty cool and nice so what's not to like about him. The wedding was in November and it was really cold wearing a dress. My whole world changed when they got married. Life was pretty great. I had a step-dad who I swear loved me more than my own dad. So everything turned out great and I had a great life.