Tw: child abuse, manipulation, gaslighting

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Everybody do the Mitski shuffle!

He couldn't remember much of his childhood, most of his memories were from what others had told him. He didn't mind, picking up bits and pieces of the past, it's not like it mattered... right?

His siblings always looked uncomfortable when he asked, trying to deflect or giving a hurried excuse as to why they can't talk to him. Which was fine, he wouldn't hold it against them, maybe he'd done something wrong.

His father didn't deflect as much, offering plenty of stories from when he was younger. His father always seemed angry when talking about his parents, barely contained rage as he tried to change the subject.

Which was also fine, Florida was content with what he got, he didn't need to know about his parents before, he had Dave and that was enough.

My baby

It's quiet for the first time in so long, silence ringing in his ears as he plans out his day. He feels out of place, finally able to rest after filling his days with meaningless tasks for so long. It's odd but not unwelcome.

He stops paying attention at some point, getting bored and not wanting to bother anyone, not like anyone would want to talk to him.

The sound of a glass shattering catches his attention. His eyes widen and his throat tightens, mind moving a million miles a minute trying to focus. He wants to run, hide, anything, why?

Because of his parents.

His parents whose "love" meant hitting him whenever he made a mistake.

Oh

Oh

He takes a shuddering breath, eyes filling with tears as he chokes on a sob, that's why no one wanted to talk about his parents.

My baby

That wasn't normal.

It wasn't normal for him to fear when his parents would come home or hide any mistake out of fear he would get hit, that wasn't normal.

They told him it was, that they were doing it because they loved him and wanted what was best for him, that if he could just be better they wouldn't have to hit him.

He believed them, for so long, telling his siblings that if he could just be better then he wouldn't get hit, that the only reason his parents hit him was because they cared.

They didn't hit his siblings and if they did, then he didn't know.

They cared about his siblings, because his siblings were their kids, he was only ever a colony, he didn't need to be treated like their child, he needed to be perfect.

He wasn't.

He didn't need to be, his father, Dave, who cared, never hit him, or told him he wasn't enough. He always tried to make sure Florida understood his mistake and learned from it, never invalidated him, or insulted him.

Because he did care, he cared so much more than his parents ever had.