But when things became bad, they became very bad.
Eventually, my own children began being affected.
That was the line I could not cross.
One of my children had recordings of some of the fights.
I heard things that no child should have to hear.
I saw enough to realize that whatever was happening between Andy and Nikki was no longer just an adult relationship problem.
My children were being pulled into it.
So I made a decision that was incredibly difficult.
I stopped allowing my children to stay in that environment.
They didn’t understand.
Sometimes they were angry with me.
Sometimes they thought I was keeping them away from their father.
They didn’t know everything I knew.
But I had to be their mother before I could be their friend.
I had spent years trying to help both Andy and Nikki.
Sometimes Andy called me when he was upset.
Sometimes Nikki called me.
I listened to both.
I tried not to automatically choose sides.
There were even times when Nikki came to my house so the two of them could talk somewhere neutral.
They wanted to make things work.
They kept saying that they loved each other.
And I wanted to believe that love would eventually be enough.
