“I literally had nothing, just the clothes I was wearing,” she said. “But I had to do something for my kids. It was just knowing that there was a chance I would never see my kids again.”

She went to a Homicide Survivor’s vigil not long after she got sober, which was also shortly after the trial for the man who shot her sister. He was sentenced to three years in prison for involuntary manslaughter.

Nearing the anniversary of her sister’s death, Tara cried after holding tears in for a long time. Lost in her grief, someone at the vigil hugged her until she said she was OK. She never saw who it was.

“At that time, that was all I needed was that hug,” she said. “I can remember that hug right now.”

All the feelings that had been buried under anger and addiction came flooding in. She found herself crying on the bus, while crossing the street, in line at the store.

She started going to support groups and equine therapy with Homicide Survivors. She enrolled in behavioral-health courses with CODAC and did classes for parenting, healthy relationships and substance abuse. She did one-on-one therapy and couples therapy with her boyfriend. And she hitchhiked out to Sells for additional parenting and life-skills classes.