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)