Mom & Da met at one of the church picnics, I think.

They were both good kids, you know? The kind of kids who got good grades, stayed close to their families and did what their parents wanted them to do.
They met at the church picnic, and when it was clear that they liked each other their parents got them married, quick. Not long after there was Tamara. Then me. Then Val. Things changed after Val, but I remember before. Things were different but the love was the same. Before and after Mom and Da loved each other and Mom loved us and everything was good. That didn't change until Mom died.
By then I don't think it was that Da didn't love us so much as he didn't know how. He worked and he provided money for us to live and led us through our confirmations in the Church. Everything a man was supposed to do for his family. When it came to the things a mother was supposed to do he was at a loss, and it always made him angry. If we couldn't do it ourselves then we'd have to find a female relative, teacher, or neighbor to help out. Tamara found solace at her best friend's house, where she was easily accepted by her large and gregarious household. They were also much wealthier than us and it developed a longing for expensive things in Tamara. Val tried the most to stay at home and to please him, so she often got the worst of his anger. I retreated into a fantasy realm of the paranormal and never looked back. I was always at the library, or had my face buried in a book.
I always felt bad for leaving Val to face Da's anger and bitterness alone, but now I wonder how long she even dealt with it before she was taken away.