The Last Photo With My Eldest Son
It was Thanksgiving weekend in October 2022. My family had gathered at my mom's house, and before my eldest son left, someone suggested we take a quick picture together at the front door.It was comple...
22 Sep 11min
The Last Birthday Bash
Labour Day weekend had always meant one thing in my family: our annual birthday celebration for all the Virgos. In September 2022, we gathered at my mom’s house to celebrate my birthday, my sons’ birt...
15 Sep 18min
The Summer I Thought We Were Getting Closer
The summer of 2022 gave me another reason to believe everything was going to be okay.My middle son called me constantly asking to go to the amusement park—we went 11 times that summer. Sometimes his s...
10 Sep 18min
False Glimmer of Hope
In July 2022, after months of growing tension and distance, I took all three of my children on a week-long vacation to visit my extended family. For a little while, everything felt normal again.We too...
8 Sep 14min
Big Steps Back
It didn't happen overnight. It happened in inches.By early 2022, getting my teenage sons to school during my parenting time had become such a struggle that I made a decision I would later regret: I to...
3 Sep 15min
Finding love after abuse
After separating in 2019, I had finally become comfortable being alone. Then, during COVID, a spontaneous $9.99 Tinder purchase led me to the man who would become my partner. My children welcomed him,...
1 Sep 17min
Calm Before The Storm: Co-Parenting
Can an abusive relationship ever seem peaceful again? In Episode 100 of After the Quiet, I reflect on a surprising chapter during the COVID-19 pandemic when the conflict between my ex-husband and me a...
27 Aug 9min
The Family I Thought I’d Lost
What if one of your greatest fears after leaving an abusive relationship never comes true? In Episode 99 of After the Quiet, I share the emotional story of attending my former husband's grandfather's ...
25 Aug 10min
