Sometimes your worse abuser is the person you least expect. The one person that you should be able to trust above all others. So often innocence is stolen and the only reason is fear. Someone was too afraid to speak up. Too afraid to let their voice be heard. I admit that I’m guilty. The truth of this revelation laid on me like a weight until I took the time to apologize. To allow my victim to grieve. To yell and scream their anguish in my face. And I had to take that. I had to sit with it. I had to feel it and now I have to release it and let it go. We are supposed to confess our sins to one another so I lay my soul bare tonight. In hopes that I may be redeemed and forgiven this night. Kenisha I’m sorry. For every time I held your mouth shut when you needed to tell your truth. For every person I allowed to disregard your feelings. For making someone else’s discomfort seem like it was more important than yours. For every time I made you shrink and be small. I’m sorry for every time I let a man defile your body. For letting your innocence be taken away and not knowing enough to help you work through the pain. I am sorry for every time I convinced you to stay in a situation that you knew you should already have left. For every time I made you endure hardships just so I could continue to be a woman of my word. I’m sorry for not allowing you to be vulnerable. For forcing you to be strong. For every time I made you push forward when you needed a safe space to fall apart. For silencing your cries for help. I’m sorry for not loving you when you needed me the most. For disappearing into the emotionless void, when you needed me to be present. For every time I let you believe you weren’t beautiful. I’m sorry for letting my pride prevent you from displaying any weaknesses. I’m sorry for knowing better and not choosing to do better. You deserved more. Kenisha, Please Forgive Me!