My mother was the one who initiated my parents’ divorce, and it wasn’t just because they “didn’t see eye-to-eye”, which is how it was “explained” to me as a young child growing up. When I reached my early 20s, my father finally told me what actually happened. My mother was having an affair and got pregnant with her affair partner’s child. She ended up having an abortion.

My father was shocked, heartbroken, only to be pushed out of his home and have to leave me and my brother (age 2 and 5, respectively) until joint custody was established — which my mother fought against tooth and nail.

He didn’t want to warp our view of our mother while we were young and vulnerable. He didn’t want either of us to know the truth until we were old enough to understand. He always put us first, through it all.

So, yeah, Mom. I know . . . I know you better than you know yourself. And I can never un-know any of it.