“At eight years old, his family shattered. At nine, he left his house and friends to move to an apartment beside a busy road where dogs bark, kids shout, and he isn’t allowed to run inside because it might disturb the neighbors.

“But he isn’t concerned with childish things; he’s too afraid, too hurt. The first weekend he spends with his father is agony. He feels disloyal; he feels angry. When he says ‘Goodbye,’ his voice is breaking, and his mother later tells him, ‘If you need to live with your dad for a while, I’ll understand. We’ll work it out.’ ”

From Divorced Moms.