THE NARRATIVE ARC

Finding Forgiveness Along My Path

It’s not easy, especially when my mother isn’t sorry

Edward Anderson
The Narrative Arc
Published in
6 min readSep 20, 2024

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Baby smiling in a crib.
Me smiling when I was a baby Image from Edward Anderson via Canva

Most parents welcome their children with open arms and warm hearts. They excitedly discuss their hopes and dreams for their offspring. Plans are made to assist them well into the future. The new baby is a welcome addition to the family.

My mother is not most parents. By her own admission, she never wanted children. When she learned that she was pregnant with me, her first thought was that she would have to marry my father. That secured her bank account for a few years.

The clashes between us started early. I was a headstrong child, who believed that I didn’t need to be told what to do. She believed that I should fall in line or suffer the consequences.

Neither of us were right.

Things went from bad to worse after my stepdad died. Three weeks after he passed, she moved a new guy into the house. I spoke my mind about her new partner, much to her chagrin.

“I don’t like him. He’s bad news,” I said.

“You don’t have to like him,” she said. “You’re now eighteen, not my problem anymore.”

The argument continued for weeks. I was bitter that she begged me not to take a full-ride…

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Edward Anderson
The Narrative Arc

Edward writes queer led stories that show that the LGBTQIA+ characters lives are multifaceted.