I didn’t like meek, Chihuahua AJ anymore. I needed to be stronger. Did it mean I was being disowned? As if I should be punished for not being afraid of a man with a balled-up fist? For standing up for myself and for another person? What kind of message was that to send to your own daughter? That cowering is a correct response? Not only was I upset about all the possibilities, in a strange way I felt empowered. I was becoming a different person. And I liked who she was.
