Life as we know it...

D came home from work early last night and got Hailey ready for bed. He was great. Hailey didn't get to sleep until about 11:00 though because of everything that had happened.

I was in bed about midnight trying to get to sleep. My sister called me from California bawling. My dad wasn't home when I went to take the puppy back because he was out at my step sisters trying to kill my stepmom. Seriously. How much worse can it get? He called my stepmom's parents and threatened to slit their throats...it's really sad because I know what my dad's capable of, I know how insane he is, and every time something bad happens in the family like last night when he was gone when I got to his house, I worry about my family. I make sure all the doors/windows are locked tight in the house. I actually sit there and think up an action plan in my head, like what would happen if he showed up and refused to leave or broke in or whatever...it's absolutely horrible that I have to fear him like that. He's my dad. He's supposed to be my protector. So last night my sister called and told me my grandparents called my Aunt who lives in Kansas City...don't ask me why they didn't just call the cops. My Aunt called my cousin (her daughter from her first marriage, my cousin "Bi-Racial Rachel" that I've talked about on here) and was crying to her. My cousin called my sister in CA...finally somebody had some sense. My sister told her to call 911. She did. My sister called my stepmom and all hell had broken loose. She said everybody was screaming, it sounded like complete chaos. My dad had shown up and said he was going to kill my stepmom. My stepsister tried to defend her. He choked my sister and left marks on her neck. My sister's boyfriend got my dad off her and they started fighting. My little brother got on the phone with my little sister in CA and bawled to her. He's 13. He was scared to death, had no place to go to get away from all the chaos. And it broke my little sister's heart that she was in CA and couldn't even be there for my little brother. My dad did this in front of my sister's 3 kids also. Finally my little sister heard the sirens from the cop cars pulling up. My dad and my brother from OH got back in their car and took off w/ the cops chasing them. I tried to console my sister as best as I could over the phone. I told her as soon as she gets back we're moving her into her own place. I'm calling rental agencies today to see what they have available for one bedroom apartments or duplexes. I told her I'll find some way to take care of her 2 cats that are still locked up at my dad's. Even if I have to pay to board them until she gets back. After I got off the phone with her I had to call my grandma to make sure she was okay. My sister had called her to let her know what was going on. Her speech was slurring, I could tell she'd taken a bunch of nerve pills. I asked her if she took too many and she said no. I told her I loved her and I let her go.

We have no idea what happened to my dad and brother. I hope to God my dad's in jail. All the horrible things he's done, they always let him out. Last time something like this happened, before Hailey was born, they put him in the psych ward at the VA. He was out in less than a week. He is like Jekyl and Hyde. So manipulative and when he needs to he can be so straight and charming and convincing and "normal". My mom's boyfriend whom I've known since I was about 7 years old even says he just can't picture the horrible man we're talking about because he's always been so charming when he's around him. It's scary to think about how he can manipulate people like that.

Now I'm sitting at my desk at work. I'm going to make myself a cup of coffee and eat a Krispy Kreme donut and attempt to normalize my day, like always. Tonight after I pick Hailey up from school we're going to my inlaw's. I'm actually really glad. I need to be around some normal people for the night.