She lunged forward and reached for my ear. She used to love doing that. She would grab me by the ear, drag me in front of the neighbors, and tell everyone what a disappointment I was.
But this time, I stepped back.
Her hand missed.
I gently moved Hannah behind me, then straightened my shoulders and looked directly at my mother.
"Mom, I've been here for over a month. And this is the first time in my life someone has told me I'm amazing."
My mother's face flushed red.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
I took a deep breath. My nails dug into my palm, but my voice stayed steady.
"I'm saying you spent twenty years telling me I was useless. That I couldn't do anything right. And I believed you for twenty years. But this month, for the first time, I realized something. I'm not useless
