Rockin Rollercoaster

In December of 2020, my son got a five-foot Mickey Mouse for Hanukkah. My son was thrilled, and my mom said she couldn’t wait to take my kids to Disney World. She spoke of a commercial where a little girl said to Mickey Mouse, “I waited my whole life to meet you.” Sadly, she died a year later, before we were able to go. (Read more: A Second Chance – The Rose Miller Story)

Towards the end of January 2025, I made a four-year dream come true. I booked a trip to Orlando for midwinter vacation, followed by every mother’s worst nightmare.

My kids have been having a difficult time lately. In October of 2024, my ex-husband announced he was remarrying. They went from meeting a new woman and her kids to a wedding in two weeks. They lived in different states and only got together when the kids came for their visits with Dad. This arrangement created instability. Dad was away a lot, leaving the kids alone to fend for themselves. All I could do for them was document.

My kids were acting out in school; the unstable environment was too much for them to bear. They needed a change of pace, and Orlando was the perfect answer. My kids had never been on a plane before, and they were excited for this trip.

We rode the Hollywood Tower Hotel and the Rockin’ Rollercoaster, which were rides in the dark. We liked the thrill of the unexpected. My kids met Mickey Mouse. I took them to Universal Studios and got the Express passes; they felt so important. The kids enjoyed Harry Potter World, the Bourne Supremacy show, along with the Simpsons ride, which they insisted on riding twice. Overall, it was the most fun we’ve ever had.

But like all good things, our trip came to an end. We headed home with heavy hearts, hoping to do it again sometime, but we all knew that getting away was hard. I shared parenting time with their dad, and this was the first time in six years that Midwinter fell on my parenting time. So getting away again was just a dream.

And then a nightmare came out of left field. My daughter confided in a school social worker that she was afraid to go to her dad’s house. Bad things happen to her there. After a lot of poking and prodding, she said her older brother- the one with mental and emotional issues has been abusing her. He does it when Dad leaves them alone together, and she’s terrified of him. (Read more: Falling Back – The Rose Miller Story)

DCP&P showed up at my house to investigate the allegations. This was their seventh investigation into our family over the last nine years. However, it wasn’t my house they needed to investigate. Dad doesn’t cooperate and hasn’t allowed them into his home. The DCP&P case worker told us that my daughter is twelve and she has a say. Hearing this empowered her. She told the school social worker once again that she didn’t want to go to Dad anymore. She doesn’t trust him, and she doesn’t feel safe there.

She had to make the call herself. I don’t want to be accused of parental alienation; this had nothing to do with me. I know he will blame me but I will ignore him. (Read more: 5 Rules To Take Into 2025 – The Rose Miller Story) My daughter called her father from school and told him she felt unsafe. Now she stays with me, and healing can begin.

Life’s a roller coaster; the highs and lows come fast. All I can do is hold on and ride the wave. We barely landed from the high of our trip, and now I am faced with such a drastic life change. I quit my weekend job to be home with her; I’ll figure out a new job. I need to know she’s safe.

The damage of the abuser doesn’t end when we leave them. It continues with the children. We must listen to them when they ask for help or voice their concerns. I told DCP&P back in 2019 that they’d be back when the kids aren’t afraid to speak up anymore. But this time, I will protect them.