It’s a testament to the unnatural dynamic between the three of us. The hands-off, narcissistic mother. The doting father who tried to fill in the gaps. And the broken only-child who let her childhood trauma ruin the best thing in her life.

show—to

brusquely—“is

reverent,

proffered

supplication.

razed

I admit

Both of us grew up with one parent whose unconditional love wasn’t enough to shield us from the damage of their narcissistic partners. And as a result, we grew around the shadows they gave us, walking around like open wounds looking for any excuse to turn a spark into a flame.