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A mother sells the only home that still felt like home, walks into a shelter with her kids, and stares down a system that keeps telling her to wait. That’s where Sarah’s story turns—when waiting becomes planning, and planning becomes movement fueled by a community that refuses to look away.

We pick up right after the hostage night that changed everything. Sarah maps a route to South Dakota, hoping for work and a chance to be near her grandmother. The new start almost holds: an apartment, a small business, daycare for her son. Then the signs arrive—strange voices at the door, love notes meant for no one she knows, and a call from daycare about a man demanding pickup. Even with her ex behind bars, another person is doing his bidding. It’s coercive control by proxy, and it forces a hard reset. With help from advocates, an emergency voucher, and gas cards, she chooses another town and another chance to feel safe.

Along the way, we talk frankly about how leaving abuse is a process. We confront slow police responses during COVID, the power of a single warrant to quiet months of terror, and the unglamorous reality of food pantries, diaper drives, and the math of survival. We sit with the emotional crash that hits after the crisis, the practical buy-a-taser-and-breathe steps, and the discipline of keeping addresses off the grid. And we honor what carried Sarah forward: listeners who shared, donated, and turned empathy into action. That collective care didn’t just cheer from the sidelines—it moved her across state lines and into a safer life.

Sarah leaves us with a clear call: love yourself, fight for yourself, and trust your gut, even when starting over hurts. If you’re a survivor, an ally, or someone learning how to show up better, this story will stay with you. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more survivors find a path to safety.

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