Dad was ousted from his own company by a hostile take over. His severance pay was good enough to keep their family afloat for a long time, but losing his own firm and the stress he got from feeling betrayed led him to the bottle. He would come home at least once a week these days, and was an absentee father. Mom needed a break so she left for her sisters for a couple of days, while she told her daughter, Vanessa, to stay at her friends place for a couple of days (so she can continue to attend school regularly). Vanessa, came home tonight to check on her struggling dad, but didn’t find him in the house. While waiting for him, she dozed off in her parent’s room.