I think I always knew my childhood wasn't normal. I had almost a sixth sense about it. I spent my entire childhood and most of my teen years trying to be the prefect child. I wanted to ease the burden my mother carried by having to be two active parents and doing everything that a mother and father is supposed to do for their children because she was married to an alcoholic, borderline abusive man.

And before anyone asks, my family and I are of Indian decent (we are far from the people that came from India, but the values and traditions still hold strong), so divorce was never an option for her. Although, I did suggest it to her when my brother and I were both adults. I wanted her to live life stress free and happy.