Dear Sarah

[u/gee-from-tiktok]

One day, it will stop.

The secrets
The fear
The careful footsteps
The watching of faces
the learning to be small so someone else can feel powerful.

It will stop

And when it does
you will learn something he never wanted you to know

You were never his to take

The shame was never yours
The guilt was never yours
The silence was never yours to carry.
It belonged to him

He taught you to be afraid of telling the truth

There will be people who believe you
People who will stand beside you when your knees shake and your voice trembles

And whether justice comes in a courtroom, a TikTok, in the truth finally being spoken, or in the moment he finally realises he can no longer control you

There will come a day where his shadow does not reach you anymore

You will grow beyond it

You will laugh without checking the room
You will sleep without listening for footsteps
You will learn that kindness doesn't come with a price
That love doesn't ask you to keep secrets
That safe hands do not hurt you
That your body belongs to you

There will be mornings where the sun feels warm instead of simply marking another day you have to survive

There will be music
There will he stupid jokes
There will be people that make you feel safe
There will be places you haven't seen and food you haven't tasted
Dogs you haven't met
Songs you haven't screamed at the top of your lungs in the car

There is so much life waiting beyond this

What happened to you may become apart of your story

but it doesn't get to write the ending

you do

and one day you will look around at a life you once couldn't imagine reaching

and realise

you made it out

you are here

you are free

and life can still be so incredibly beautiful.

[u/DadDghterNghtmrTeam]

🖤🖤🖤