Hillbilly Elegy

During Mom’s domestic violence case a
couple of years earlier, Lindsay and I
had let slip some unsavory details about
Mom’s parenting, and because it counted
as a new revelation of abuse, the family
counselor was required to report it to
child services. So I didn’t miss the irony
of lying to a therapist (to protect Mom)
lest I ignite another intervention by the
county children’s services. I explained
the situation well enough: After an hour,
she said simply, “Perhaps we should
meet alone.”
I saw this woman as an obstacle to
overcome—an obstacle placed by Mom
—not as someone who might help. I
explained only half of my feelings: that I