Alone

Being the oldest girl of five children, Loree became the second mother to her siblings. She was a fun older sister, always helping the children stretch their imagination.

One warm summer day, while Mother was at work and Dad was in an upstairs bedroom passed out in an alcoholic stupor, Loree tried to make an indoor swimming event. Placing a step stool against a dresser, Loree encouraged her brother and sisters to climb to the top, dive into the cool water, and gently splash land on the mattr...