Those nights spent in fear set the trajectory for the rest of my life. They simplify my dreams: All I want is to love and be loved. I want to have children who go to school without shame and secrets weighing them down like book bags much too heavy for them to carry. I never want the woman I love to have hands reaching for her with affection in one moment and malice the next. My father’s failures turn me into a family man at a young age.
