When Mary was a baby and young child, Momma doted on her. Mary remembers her mother’s love, but she also remembers Momma’s breaks from reality, usually accompanied by odd, abusive behavior. Through repeated exposure to Momma’s mental illness, Mary unknowingly comes to embrace the role of caretaker, both for herself and for her mother. 

In addition to the physical abuse Momma inflicted upon Mary, Momma denied that Ray had molested Mary. Momma beat and drugged Mary at the behest of Ray. This betrayal sent Mary the message that Momma would no longer care for or protect her. If Mary was to stay safe, she would have to protect herself. The role reversal occurred so early, Mary didn’t know any better; she simply responded to her mother’s needs, putting her own safety behind her responsibilities to her mother. 

Momma had heaped untold piles of obligation on a young child and threatened acts that felt like abandonment if Mary did not comply. The manipulation helped ingrain in Mary the belief that her mother was her responsibility, and it is this premise—the child who believes she is responsible for her parent—that, according to Mary, kept her from giving authorities her side of the story. 

There is only one thing that threatens to undermine Mary’s misguided loyalty to Momma, and that is Mary’s love for her unborn child.