Spilled Milk: Based on a True Story

Brooke recalls when her father David began sexually abusing her at night when she was seven, as she lay beside her sleeping younger sister Kat. What started as back rubs to help her fall asleep soon turned into painful episodes of molestation that Brooke felt powerless to stop. One thing she did feel she had control over was whether or not her father molested Kat, and would often stop him, keeping watch over her sister at night. At the time, Molly was too distracted by pain medication to notice what was happening, and Brooke felt as if she was left to deal with everything alone. Before turning 12, Brooke decides to take Kat and run to their grandmother’s house, worrying about leaving their brothers but hoping they find a way out on their own. The sisters pack suitcases and leave the same night, but Kat starts to worry and wants to tell their mother that they’re leaving. Brooke reluctantly agrees, and Molly convinces the girls to stay, promising they can all run away together another day. Brooke wonders if her mother knows of her father’s abuse. When Molly unpacks Brooke’s suitcase, she finds her journal and asks to read it.