“I don’t think you’re a freak,” she says, her voice firm in the dimly lit kitchen. “I think you’re so strong. I think you’re amazing, Vic. Your father was horrible to you, and you’re still here. You’re smart and resilient, and it always seems like there’s nothing you can’t do. You shouldn’t have had to go through all that, but you’re not a freak and you’re not broken.”
