My mother is a single parent and identifies as LGBTQ+. When she was a child, she attended a catholic school, where you can imagine homosexuality was not a topic talked about. Her mother was in the Air Force, which caused her to move around a lot. At seventeen years old, she met my father. She became pregnant and had my eldest brother in September 2003. Having an absent father herself, she stayed with my father in hopes that her children could have the father she missed. My parents would constantly argue and bicker. Around the time I was born, my parents weren't together. Still hanging on to the vision of the perfect nuclear family, my mother got back together with my father. Throughout my childhood, I would witness multiple arguments and instances of domestic violence. My father would verbally abuse my mother and break her self-esteem down. It got to the point when my mother would work long hours to avoid coming home. My father also comes from a broken home. His father was absent, which caused his mother to work extended shifts. In 2009, my little brother was born. He would also bear witness to the domestic violence and verbal abuse my mother endured. Over the years, my father was touch and go. I didn't have a relationship with him. My mother hoped he would step up and be a father to their kids, which is why she stayed with him. In 2021, we moved to Whisett, North Carolina. For the first month, my father stayed in New York. Looking back on it, it was the happiest I'd ever seen my mom. She seemed at peace and comfortable in her own home. However, when my father came to North Carolina, it was as if his presence brought the mood down. They continued to fight until finally, in 2023, my mother packed everything up and moved to Greensboro with her kids. It's been about a year now, and my mother is finally able to express her homosexuality and be with who she wants. Currently, she is in a same-sex relationship, and she is flourishing. My mother is a single parent in the LGBTQ+ community and also a domestic violence survivor. I am proud to be her daughter. Her strength shows me that I can get through anything. She tells me love is love, and you should never be ashamed of who or how you choose to love. Growing up and witnessing my parents' toxic relationship has caused me to see love and relations as something to avoid. For the longest time, I believed that I was doomed to repeat the cycle of toxic, failed relationships. However, seeing my mom in a healthy relationship today gives me hope. With my knowledge of domestic violence, I better spot red flags and avoid them. I plan to study criminology with minors in social work and psychology. I plan to use this education in law enforcement to protect my community. I hope to go far in my career and be an example that people from single-parent households are not doomed to fail. My mother is proof of that herself.