9. Dear Kiddo, Take My Hand Into Darkness

There are moments in life that snap you out of a delusion so abruptly, it feels like stepping on a rake. One moment, you’re living in a rom-com, gazing lovingly at the future; the next, you’re whacked in the face by cold, hard reality. This is the story of one such moment, the day I realized that Mom, the woman I had just promised exclusivity with, had a talent for reality-bending and chaos-creation that rivaled any psychological thriller.