dejavu

I get a text yesterday from niece that states her father is picking his wife over his girls and they need to move out. 

Yes, I realize there are two sides to every story and I only know one.  Which is that she has an addiction problem, has two or three DUIs, been in a few wrecks, and is abusive to my nieces.  I think someone got involved because she moved out and my ex brother in law has been paying for her rent and bills.  The girls expressed that they want their father to be happy, but do not feel comfortable with her when he isn't around and he agreed.  He is a fireman so he is gone for long periods of time and then the time that he spends at his wife's house leaves the girls alone too much.  Time has passed and he is unhappy with the situation and wants his wife to move back in, the girls expressed their concern and he told them that if they didn't like it they could move. 

My mother wrecked the mule, backed into the retaining wall just like she did with the town car.  My dad is so depressed that he doesn't have the will to live.  I understand what that feels like.  I don't think that I was ever suicidal, that would have taken too much energy and as much as I didn't want to hurt.  I thought about what that would do to my family. 

I have been trying to touch base with my sister daily.  I am concerned that she is going to die either by drinking herself to death or take me up on that idea of taking a handful of pills.  This is all the girls need is a dead mother. 

I didn't have an alcoholic mother, but I did have a workaholic mother.  I know what it is like for a father to pick a woman over his daughter.  I feel in some way that I am watching my childhood replayed.  I know the damage that it can do and I am so fearful for those girls and the issues they will have.  I can only pray that they wont be forty when they deal with them.