At 13, My Parents Locked Me in a Flooding Garage During a Hurricane Because ….

Uncle Charles “Charlie” Caldwell.

He and my father hadn’t spoken in nearly a decade. Charlie was blunt, financially successful, and unafraid of confrontation. My father called him arrogant and meddlesome. I called him the only adult who ever listened.

He answered immediately.

“Savannah?”

My voice shook. “Uncle Charlie… the garage is flooding.”