Dear Aunt Charlie,
Hi! I hope you’re doing good. My counselor, her name’s Claire, she encouraged me to write you. Yes, I have a counselor because I’ve been staying awhile at this place Caring Street the Catholics run. I know you and Catholics don’t get along (I can relate!), but I gotta say, they’ve been alright to me. Couldn’t stay at home now that mom is, you know, pretty fucked up, sorry but it’s the right expression, and I can’t stand her boyfriend, who’s a creep who scares me (a little). They use all day long. I don’t want to whine, I’m a big girl, I can deal. But then I couldn’t so I took off. The saga of the traveling pants, the Terry sequel, this time it’s personal ha ha.
Anyway. Next week is my 18th birthday. You probably don’t remember that’s OK. Here they are going to give me a little party and a cake, I think.
They’re also giving me the old heave ho. But in a nice way, and I’m no ho. Sorry bad joke. Been here too long is all. 18 is kinda the cutoff point expiration date on my milk carton, I guess. This priest here, Father Philip, he’s been pretty good to me too. Turns out he’s the big brother of my old English teacher at HFH, Mr. Matt Fitzgerald. Small world huh? But I’d hate to paint it! 
Don’t tell anybody, but I kinda had a tiny little crush on him, the teacher not the priest, and not that he’s that way, he isn’t, not at all. And he wouldn’t do anything bad, he’s OK. Even his wife’s OK, who’s Claire, who works here—oh, I just wrote that a minute ago. She’s a little bit of a do-gooder but that’s not her whole story. She’s funny too which I didn’t catch at first. She said she knew Matt and me had a kind of soulmate connection, but she didn’t mind. Soulmate?—she was an ex-hippie, I think. Not that there’s anything wrong with it because you were too. Anyway girls in class were always falling for the guy (which was very true, I can testify). Hey, she fell for him, so she understood. As she said, nothing could get in the way of their marriage. She’s right too I bet.
Funny to be writing a real letter on paper with a pen. I’d send you an email, but I don’t have your email address sorry and I could find your snail mail address on my phone lucky for me. Guess this is my first letter ever to you. Except for thank you notes when you sent me presents which were always cool and generous.
So I was thinking about your offer, you know, to live with you a little while? Remember when you said? Would that be OK now? For a little while like I say? I got a job lined up at a bookstore (Matt’s sister has a bookstore), and I’ll be going to community college after I finish up at McKinley Central continuation. Too bad I never did graduate from Holy Family, nothing wrong with the place, but I can’t go back “in every sense of the term” to quote my Eng teacher.
I promise to keep my room clean, to do any chores you want even the kitty litter box (how are those tabbies of yours?), cook dinner (as long as it’s spaghetti, I mean, but you can teach me, you’re such a great cook), and mostly stay out of your hair.
Claire said I should tell you the simple truth hold nothing back. So you have the whole picture, she said. You see I had a bad year, last year. Did some stupid things. Had some stupid friends. Made some mistakes I regret. But mostly I regret how I couldn’t help mom. I worry about her every single minute of every day. I’m not blaming her honest I have my own issues.
Matt’s friend, this guy he showed up at Caring Street, he spoke to me about how to make things right with my life. The guy used to be a cop, a detective, I think, but he was pretty OK to talk to. I hope this doesn’t ruin things for you and me to live together, but here goes. I told him about how I sent a selfie to Matt I shouldn’t of. I can tell you more if it matters, but this was all on me not my teacher. I was having a bad night. And the selfie was a bad thing, if you know what I mean. And no, I wasn’t drinking. I wasn’t thinking either. I’ll tell you more if it matters to you like I say but you know what I’m talking about use your imagination. I also messed around with Matt’s computer and downloaded bad things on it. Reason I’m telling you this, and I would tell anybody is that I don’t want Matt to get in any kinda trouble like I told the ex-cop and it’s all on me and I’m sorry.
Because and this is true I promise I will try to do the right thing from now on.
So would you think about it please, me living with you for awhile? I can pay rent if you want of course, soon as I figure out how much I’m gonna get paid.
I want to be a better person. I want to be a good woman someday. I’ll never forget it if you can see your way clear to helping your niece. I promise to do my best. I wont let you down
Lots of love to you Auntie Charlene
T: your loving niece