When the Truth Breaks Through

In this episode, Shielagh reflects on a powerful dream she had following a breakthrough therapy session. In the dream, her home began flooding as water poured through a failed patch in the roof - a vivid picture of what it feels like when truth can no longer be contained. The patch, she realized, symbolized the years of lies used to cover up her abuse.

She also recounts a tense visit to her abuser’s current church, where his pastor’s aggressive defensiveness and shocking admissions made her even more keenly aware just how unsafe churches can be for children and how difficult it remains for survivors to be seen as anything other than threats when they push for reform and accountability.

The episode ends with a redemptive turn: Shielagh’s decision to attend a concert at Hyde Park Baptist Church and the unexpected comfort she found when the Slaughters welcomed her without hesitation, and Tom Slaughter, in particular, stepped in as protector the way her own father failed to do in 2005.

This episode is about the difference between people who patch over the truth and those who hold the door open when it finally breaks through - as well as the healing that can come when someone simply shows up and stays.