His Daughter's Pearls

So I'm sitting at my computer trying to type up my statement for Doug's sentencing tomorrow. It occurs to me that he probably thinks he won. But here's the thing: His original charges will always follow him around- online, by word of mouth. Not only that, but his sick need to break my daughter because he was jealous of her didn't work. Oh sure, for awhile it did, she was a damned mess- we both were. But now?? She is pretty close to being the kid she was before, only stronger. She will succeed in this life because she is strong, and because I will fight for her every day of her life. It's too bad his kids don't have that kind parent. I'm completely aware of the lies his pill popping white trash family was prepared to make in court. Whatever. It boils down to this- he lost. Bottom line. His sentence is pathetic, yes, BUT I take great comfort in the fact that my daughter doesn't yet understand this. In her 12 year old mind she knows three things: 1.) He plead guilty 2.) She doesn't have to talk about her body and what he did to it in front of him and a bunch of strangers and 3.) He's going to jail. She will have plenty of time when she's older to look back on this and realize how easy he had it. Of course, by then, he will have likely done this to another child and hopefully it will turn out differently for her and her family. I know my daughter wasn't the first- I believe this with everything in me, and someday THAT smart, beautiful girl will realize that she deserves to be defended, and guarded and kept safe... and she will come forward.

I spent a lot of time thinking about all the people we loved and lost because of him. Now that every single person I ever knew through him and when I was with him is out of my life... I am relieved. He's a poison that seeps through every relationship and hurts the people around him.

He didn't win- we did.

When I unpacked, I found my old wooden box I kept important jewelry in. I saw the pearls in their little plastic bags and remembered I had once put them there for safe keeping. Here they were. I've decided to make them into earrings and a necklace for MaKayla. She deserves them.