We Were Three - Ep. 2

Rachel McKibbens recounts the volatile upbringing she and her brother Peter endured under their abusive, alcoholic father in Southern California. The family, once a tight-knit "squad" bound by shared trauma and secrets, fractured as Rachel began to publicly confront their father’s behavior, while Peter remained trapped in a cycle of caretaking and silence. This divergence defined their adult lives, with Rachel pursuing a career as a poet and writer while Peter stayed at their grandparents' home, eventually becoming their father's primary caregiver. The narrative examines how childhood survival strategies—silence versus speaking out—shaped their identities and ultimately led to their estrangement. Following the deaths of both men during the COVID-19 pandemic, McKibbens grapples with the lingering guilt and the complex, often contradictory, legacy of a father who was simultaneously a source of terror and a central figure in their lives.