Date: Sun, May 17^th at 2:18PM
Subject: Dad talking again?
mailed-by: pitt.edu

Annie,

Dad sent me a letter the other day and I don't know what to make of it. He basically apologized for not being there for me after he and mom split up. I think he was honest, but I don't know. Has he said anything about it to you recently?

It's funny, the last time I remember him being involved was when I was in 8th grade. You must have been out driving around with Jason (what a bad choice!) at the time. I demanded that I be able to go on that cheerleading trip to Boston and he, as usual, refused. I started yelling at him and telling him how much he was ruining my life. I remember being so angry with him when and then he just walked away from me. That pissed me off even more, as you can imagine. Later that night he came to my room and told me how difficult this past year had been, and that I was making it more difficult. He had a calm voice. He wasn't angry at all. He looked incredibly exhausted with everything, do you remember him then? Then he looked me straight in the eye and he said that my behavior had to change. Period. That was it, nothing more. He left my room and we didn't talk about it again.

I don't know why, but at the time, that worked. He looked so... So upset. I started to see things from his perspective. I think that is why I had such a hard time when he left mom. I think I saw how hard of a decision it was for him to leave. He could have gone either way and neither would have been a good option. I thought he would stay with us.

I don't want him back in if he is going to leave again. You know him better than I do. Do you think he will leave again or is this for real?

-M