Turtle Cake from Cafe Latte

Maybe it's a second child thing: a familiar cafe, familiar selections, and yet, he says, pointing, "I've never had that in my whole life." And thinking back I realize it's true! He's 23, a food-a-phile, and never tasted Cafe Latte's signature Turtle Cake! A downside of domestic violence is that everyone's attention is focused on the perpetrator. We watch for signs of coming rampage: the quivering lip, increasing volume verbal abuse, tension in the throat. We walk on egg shells when he's in the house and we are so skilled at anticipating mood swings that we don't even know we're doing it: enabling the violence with the illusion that we can control it by eliminating the triggers. Allowing it to shape our activities and dreams, we stop exploring and growing, repress our natural flow of emotions and impulses to create. We avoid trying new experiences. And we lie to ourselves and consequently to the people around us. People we love and wish to nurture. I refused to see the world from my son's eyes. As we shared a generous portion of turtle cake, drenched in caramel, fudge and pecans, I sipped Jasmine tea and wondered in awe at my blessing, my great good fortune. We are alive, recovering and loving every moment of freedom.