I escaped the house the same way a lot of unphotographed, unmeasured daughters escape.

I simply became useful somewhere else.

I got through nursing school in Indianapolis and landed a position in a high-acuity pediatric unit back in Fort Wayne.

I quickly discovered that hospitals run on the exact hyper-vigilant skill set my childhood had drilled into me.

Noticing.

Nobody on a pediatric floor cares what your cheekbones look like.