It was a conscious decision
One that needed to happen eventually
Today was the day
We stepped briefly back in the city where the abuse happened
It was a PA Day that we turned into an Adventure Day
And what better way to spend it than visiting a much loved park
One that’s been dearly missed for over a year
One that was a safe haven while there: out of the house and away from the abuser
A request has already been made to go back to the park tomorrow
The possibility of an encounter while there may have been slim, but it still weighed heavily
The tension was felt long before we even got to the park (more with me than my son)
The abuser was only a 10 minute drive from the park
He could have driven up any minute the entire time we were there, even though we never saw him visit that park once the entire time we lived there
He may be a showman
A smooth operator
A wolf in sheep’s clothing
And it probably played a part in why we never saw him there: there was no one to put a show on for
No one to show off the perfect ‘family man’ image
Especially today
It may have been chilly out, but he already proved the cold never bothered him
He’d rather use the cold against you
There were only a handful of people there
Not enough to put in an effort for
It may not be a big deal to most people
But to us, it was a step in the right direction
One that ended up proving to be worth it
Because we got to spend some quality family time at a safe haven
This time, however, we actually got to go back to a home that actually felt like home
Where I knew there wasn’t someone waiting to put me ‘in my place’
All because I figured him out
Island of Misfit Mamas 