Let me reintroduce myself I m Madeline and I grew up imagining my life being over before my 20 s I grew up thinking that I d become the stereotype because it seemed like that was all I could be That s all anyone really told me I could be They said the odds didn t look good I spent the majority of my life navigating how to be a human alone with a very very complicated relationship with my family We don t talk much anymore But I never really believed in stereotypes anyways I started saving for my first house when I was 15 years old That was my dream A home with laughter good food friends and family A home like what my friends had That was my dream I took bits and pieces from happy moments my friends had with their families and imagined making them