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“Jih

“He’s ht ”

“What about your real dad?”

“Jim-Dad is enuine war about the sper around Raleigh so on whether he’s clean or not ”

My mouth drops open and I stare at her in disbelief over what I think she just implied, and the way she said it with full acceptance and not an ounce of bitterness “Your dad is a…?”

“Drug addict? Yup He’s definitely not father of the year, but I try to support him as best I can ”

“And by support you mean…?”

“Not financial I ement and emotional support, but it’s hard when I’ve watched him yo-yo back and forth ”

I’hts of my own father, who battles with alcohol No, that’s not quite right He doesn’t battle That would imply he’s tried to quit at soe He has succu more

“Is that why you do what you do?” I ask her

“Drug counseling? Pretty obvious, right?”

“Pretty fking impressive, I’d say ”

Sutton’s face flushes red and she averts her gaze with uncharacteristic shyness She picks up the fork and starts fiddling with it again while she continues “My life was very bad when ht a lot of suffering down on ot me out of that environment—as best she could Then Jim-Dad saved us both ”

Laying the fork back down, she lifts her eyes toin a moment of happy reflection and love for her family

I want to hear all about her story, but I’m actually afraid to I’m afraid to hear it because of the co about my childhood I also don’t want to hear her story because sout It appears we both had crappy childhoods, yet Sutton seems to have adjusted just fine At least from what I can tell

Me?

Not sothat a feeeks ago I was pretty comfortable with

But now?