It sounds crazy, but I used to fantasise about a life where my parents were divorced. On the surface, a ‘broken home’ sounds terrible, but there’s certainly times where it’s actually the best outcome for a family.

My father made life hell for all of us. My childhood was filled with stress and worry because of his reluctant presence in our lives. If one day passed without any conflict, that was a good day. Those moments provided us with a glimpse of what a happy home could possibly look like.

Despite him barely contributing to the home, my mother struggled to turn her back on this person. For years, my sisters and I begged her to leave – for good. We were always crushed by her response: she was “staying for [us]”. We assured her repeatedly that we’d be just fine without him; life would be peaceful and we’d feel content leaving the house knowing that she was safe, but our words did nothing.