Just gotta get through one more school year, baby girl.

So, there have been times over the many years when I have picked up my daughter from her mom and she was upset. Sometimes more obviously that others, but you can tell when something is bugging her. Never has there been a time when my daughter has gotten into the car and immediately burst into tears. Friday night was a first for that.

She’s 17 and going into her senior year.

She has endured mental and emotional abuse from her mother for YEARS and I have fought to change the custodial situation several times in court, at great expense and to no avail.

Courts hate fathers. But that’s a story for a different day.

Anyway, my daughter cried for a few minutes and then said it was “nothing.” “It happens all the time.” “It’s just the way it is.” She explained what was going on and said she didn’t wanna live there any more but knows she is stuck. She’s tough, but it still hurts her.

Breaks my heart…because there is nothing I can do at this point but point out that she’ll be 18 next year and will graduate high school and then she can make decisions for herself.

I reassured her that it isn’t normal, it shouldn’t be this way, and that it doesn’t happen all the time. That’s not how mother’s treat their children. Deep down, she knows this.

How can her mom be like this? Why is she such a manipulative, conniving, bi-polar B*tch? (Yeah, that capital letter was on purpose) What makes her think that her behavior is acceptable at any level?

She’s already alienated our daughter enough that she hates being there. Doesn’t want to go back. Can’t wait to get out. Is biding her time until she can completely abandon that relationship, at least temporarily. She likely won’t sever it completely because she still loves her mom…but she wants separation.

My heart hurts.

Hang on, baby girl, just nine more months…