He said rough family, but all I heard was real family. My parents shoved faith and family values down my throat so often I wanted to tear through them with my teeth just to get some air. Dad was strict, but he was also a hypocrite. He didn’t think we knew about the lipstick on his collar when he came home, or the fact that he smelled like a perfume brand that Mom didn’t own. He didn’t think we saw Mom’s jaw grow tight when she greeted him or how she swiped at her eyes when she wandered back toward the back of the house.
