Thank you very much, Dave. It’s reaffirming to know, also, that male readers have found the story valuable too; I was very careful to keep the language gender-neutral wherever possible, because I wanted to make sure that readers of any gender (who could relate to what I was writing) would feel heard and validated. It’s nice to know that, while being in this abusive relationship was deeply painful in its moment, I’ve been able to take at least one small part of my healing and pay it forward. Thank you for reading. :)