Ignorance is bliss. I guess those are the words you lived by dad, and avoidance was the route you decided to take when you walked away from your mistakes. I saw it as abandonment, and ever since that moment I've been waiting, watching to see who will be the next one to follow in your footsteps.
In my house, we tiptoe around your name just like how I tiptoe around my feelings as I wake up the next morning with nothing but regret. There are some things better left in the dark. There are some names I wish to bury, but my closet has become so full of skeletons, I don't even remember yours.
You are not the only man who's ever hurt me. See, when you walked away, you left behind an isolated little girl who never learned the value of a real relationship, who was never taught how to love. You became a secret, a part of her to always be left undiscovered, a shame she could never get rid of because every time someone touched her, all she could think about was how it was temporary.
It took that girl years for her to figure out you didn't define her worth. It took me ages to see that not having you around didn't make me any less of a person. See, you taught me that people leave and not everyone can be a part of your life. But you also taught me how to be independent, how to be strong. You taught me that a woman could raise a young child on her own without a man by her side. And when the next man came alone, he taught me that family isn't always defined by blood. You taught me that sometimes people leave, but the important ones are the people who choose to stay. I may never learn why you left, but I did learn the life lessons you unintentionally left behind. And for that, I forgive you. For that, I say thank you.
