My eyes welled with tears as my beat-up SUV broke down on the side of the road in rural Texas. I was on a backroad in the middle of nowhere and passed the nearest town 10 miles back. My car was filled with the brim with belongings, having escaped an abusive relationship and now on the run.

A stuffed animal that I’ve had since I was young, Peeps, was buckled in the front seat. I gave him a tearful look as I contemplated what to do next. I rolled my eyes at my own childish antics and hit the steering wheel with the palm of my hand, frustrated at my situation.