{"id":1739,"date":"2026-04-28T14:44:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:44:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/?p=1739"},"modified":"2026-04-28T14:44:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:44:35","slug":"i-married-a-widower-with-two-daughters-then-one-led-me-to-a-basement-door","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/?p=1739","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI married a widower with two daughters\u2014then one led me to a basement door.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
I thought I was marrying into a family that had already survived its worst tragedy. Then, one small comment from my boyfriend Daniel\u2019s oldest daughter made me realize something was very odd inside that house.<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

When I started dating Daniel, he told me something that almost scared me off completely on the second date.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cI have two daughters,\u201d he said. \u201cGrace is six. Emily is four. Their mom died three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He said it calmly, but I heard the strain in his voice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I reached across the table. \u201cThank you for telling me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The girls were easy to love.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He gave me a tired smile. \u201cSome people hear that and run.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

\u201cI\u2019m still here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

And I was.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The girls were easy to love. Grace was sharp and curious and always asking questions like the world owed her answers. Emily was quieter. At first she hid behind Daniel\u2019s leg. A month later she was climbing into my lap with a picture book like she had always known me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

After the wedding, I moved into his house.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I never tried to replace their mother. I just showed up. I made grilled cheese. I watched cartoons. I sat through fevers, craft disasters, and endless games of pretend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Daniel and I dated for a year before we got married.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

We had a small wedding by a lake. Just family. Grace wore a flower crown and asked about cake every ten minutes. Emily fell asleep before sunset. Daniel looked happy, but careful, like he didn\u2019t trust happy things to stay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

After the wedding, I moved into his house.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

That sounded reasonable. So I let it go.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

It was warm and beautiful. Big kitchen. Wraparound porch. Toys everywhere. Family photos on the walls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

And one locked basement door.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I noticed it in the first week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWhy is that always locked?\u201d I asked one night.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Daniel kept drying dishes. \u201cStorage. A lot of junk. Old tools, boxes, things like that. I don\u2019t want the girls getting hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That sounded reasonable. So I let it go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Once I found Grace sitting on the hallway floor, staring at the knob.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Still, I noticed things.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Sometimes Grace looked at the basement door when she thought no one could see her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Sometimes Emily stood near it for a second and then hurried away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Once I found Grace sitting on the hallway floor, staring at the knob.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She looked up. \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Then came the day everything changed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Then she ran off.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

It was strange, but not strange enough to start a fight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Then came the day everything changed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The girls both had little colds, so I stayed home with them. They were miserable for about an hour, then turned into loud, sniffly chaos.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019m dying,\u201d Grace announced from the couch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cYou have a runny nose,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

By noon they were playing hide-and-seek like tiny maniacs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Emily sneezed into a blanket. \u201cI\u2019m also dying.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cVery tragic,\u201d I said. \u201cDrink your juice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

By noon they were playing hide-and-seek like tiny maniacs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cNo running,\u201d I called.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

They ran.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cNo jumping off furniture.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grace yelled from upstairs, \u201cThat was Emily!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Something cold moved through me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Emily yelled back, \u201cI\u2019m baby! I don\u2019t know rules!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I was heating soup when Grace came into the kitchen and tugged my sleeve.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Her face was serious.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cDo you want to meet my mom?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I stared at her. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

She nodded. \u201cDo you want to meet my mom? She liked hide-and-seek too.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

My heart started pounding.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Something cold moved through me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cGrace,\u201d I said carefully, \u201cwhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

She frowned. \u201cDo you want to see where she lives?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Emily wandered in behind her, dragging a stuffed rabbit by one ear.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cMommy is downstairs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

My heart started pounding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Grace pulled me down the hall like she was showing me a birthday surprise.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cDownstairs where?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grace grabbed my hand. \u201cThe basement. Come on.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Every bad thought hit me at once.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The locked door. The secrecy. The way the girls looked at it. A dead wife. A basement Daniel never opened around me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grace pulled me down the hall like she was showing me a birthday surprise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

At the door, she looked up at me and said, \u201cYou just have to open it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

I should have waited. I know that now.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

My mouth went dry. \u201cDoes Daddy take you down there?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

She nodded. \u201cSometimes. When he misses her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That did not help.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I tried the knob. Locked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grace said, \u201cIt\u2019s okay. Mommy is there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I should have waited. I know that now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

A sharp smell hit me first.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Instead, I pulled two hairpins from my bun and knelt by the lock with shaking hands.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Emily stood beside me, sniffling. Grace bounced on her toes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The lock clicked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I froze.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grace whispered, \u201cSee?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I opened the door.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The basement was dim, but I could see enough.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A sharp smell hit me first. Sour. Damp.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I took one step down, then another.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The basement was dim, but I could see enough.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

And then my fear changed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

It wasn\u2019t a body.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

It wasn\u2019t some hidden nightmare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

I just stood there.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

It was a shrine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

There was an old couch with a blanket folded over one arm. Shelves lined with albums. Framed pictures of Daniel\u2019s wife everywhere. Children\u2019s drawings. Boxes labeled in black marker. A little tea set on a child-sized table. A cardigan hanging over a chair. A pair of women\u2019s rain boots by the wall. An old TV beside stacks of DVDs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The smell was mildew. A pipe was leaking into a bucket. Water had stained part of the wall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I just stood there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cAnd Daddy talks to her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grace smiled. \u201cThis is where Mom lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I looked at her. \u201cWhat do you mean, sweetheart?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

She pointed around the room. \u201cDaddy brings us here so we can be with her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Emily hugged her rabbit tighter. \u201cWe watch Mommy on TV.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Grace nodded. \u201cAnd Daddy talks to her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I looked back at the room.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Daniel\u2019s grief had a locked room.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Not a crime scene.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Not a prison.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Something sadder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Daniel\u2019s grief had a locked room.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I walked to the TV cabinet. The top DVD said Zoo trip. Another said Grace birthday. There was a notebook on the table, open to a page. I didn\u2019t mean to read it, but I caught one line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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Then I heard the front door open upstairs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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I wish you were here.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I shut it at once.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Then I heard the front door open upstairs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Daniel was home early.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

His voice carried down the hall. \u201cGirls?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grace lit up. \u201cDaddy! I showed her Mommy!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

His tone made Grace flinch.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The footsteps stopped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Then they came fast.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Daniel appeared at the basement door and went white when he saw it open.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

For one awful second, nobody spoke. Daniel just stared at us for a second.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

His tone made Grace flinch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

His face changed. The anger fell right out of it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I stepped in front of the girls. \u201cDo not speak to me like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

He pressed both hands to his head. \u201cWhy is this open?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBecause your daughter told me her mother lives down here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

His face changed. The anger fell right out of it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grace\u2019s voice shook. \u201cDid I do bad?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He looked at her like his heart had split open. \u201cNo. No, baby.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cI was going to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I crouched down. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you two go watch cartoons? I\u2019ll bring soup.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

They hesitated, then went upstairs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I turned back to him. \u201cTalk.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He looked around the\u00a0basement<\/a>\u00a0like he hated that I was seeing it. \u201cI was going to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Silence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

That took some of the heat out of me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I laughed once. \u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He came down the stairs slowly. \u201cIt\u2019s not what you think.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

\u201cI don\u2019t even know what to think.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

His voice cracked. \u201cIt\u2019s all I had left.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That took some of the heat out of me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Not all of it, but enough.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

I said nothing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He sat on the bottom step and stared at the floor. \u201cAfter she died, everyone kept telling me to be strong. So I was. I worked. I packed lunches. I got through each day. People said I was amazing.\u201d He laughed bitterly. \u201cI just kept going for the girls, but I was numb.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

I said nothing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI put her things down here because I couldn\u2019t get rid of them,\u201d he said. \u201cThen the girls would ask about her, so sometimes we came down. We looked at pictures. Watched videos. Talked about her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cGrace thinks her mother lives in the basement.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He closed his eyes. \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That hit hard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cNot at first. Then she kept saying it, and I\u2026 I didn\u2019t correct her the way I should have.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThat is not a small mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Then I asked the question I had been afraid to ask.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I looked around the room. The cardigan. The rain boots. The little tea set.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWhy keep it like this?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

His answer came fast. \u201cBecause down here, she was still part of the house.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

That sat between us for a long time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Then I asked the question I had been afraid to ask.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

I hated how honest that was.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWhy did you marry me if you were still living like this?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He went still.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cBecause I love you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

His face fell.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

I stepped closer. \u201cDo you love me, or did you love that I could help carry the life she left behind?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cI was ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He opened his mouth. Closed it. Looked away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Finally he said, \u201cBoth.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I hated how honest that was.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I folded my arms. \u201cYou asked me to build a life with you while lying about a locked room full of grief.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cI was ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cYou should have been truthful.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Something in me softened.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I pointed upstairs. \u201cThose girls need memories. Not a room they think their mother lives in.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

His voice dropped. \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThis is not healthy. For them or for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He sat there like he had nothing left in him. \u201cI don\u2019t know how to let go.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Something in me softened.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The pipe kept dripping into the bucket.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Not because this was okay. It wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Because it was finally honest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cYou do not have to let go of her,\u201d I said. \u201cBut you do have to stop pretending she lives in a locked room.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He covered his face.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The pipe kept dripping into the bucket.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Then I said, \u201cWe need to fix the leak. And you need therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

When Daniel came downstairs, I put the frame back.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He let out a shaky breath. \u201cFair.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That night, after the girls were asleep, I went back downstairs alone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The room felt smaller now. Not haunted. Just heavy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I picked up a framed photo. His wife was laughing, reaching toward Grace as a toddler. She looked warm. Real. Loved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

When Daniel came downstairs, I put the frame back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cListen to me,\u201d I said. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t live here. Your grief does.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The next morning, he sat the girls down at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He didn\u2019t argue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I kept going. \u201cThe girls deserve the truth in a way they can understand. And I deserve a marriage with all the doors open.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He nodded, eyes wet. \u201cYou do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The next morning, he sat the girls down at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

I stayed nearby.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Daniel took Grace\u2019s hand. \u201cMommy doesn\u2019t live in the basement, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Grace was quiet for a moment.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grace frowned. \u201cBut we see her there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cYou see her pictures there. And her videos. And things that remind us of her. But Mommy died a long time ago, and that means she isn\u2019t living in any room in this house.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Emily\u2019s lip trembled. \u201cThen where is she?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

He looked at both of them. \u201cIn your hearts. In your memories. In the stories we tell.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grace was quiet for a moment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The basement door stayed unlocked.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Then she asked, \u201cCan we still watch her videos sometimes?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

His voice broke. \u201cYes. Of course.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A week later, the leak was fixed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A therapist\u2019s number was on the fridge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The basement door stayed unlocked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

But now, when we pass that door, nobody has to pretend anymore.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I\u2019m still here. For now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That isn\u2019t a fairy tale ending. It\u2019s just the truth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Some marriages break in one loud moment. Ours cracked open in a damp basement that smelled like mildew and old grief.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

But now, when we pass that door, nobody has to pretend anymore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I thought I was marrying into a family that had already survived its worst tragedy. Then, one small comment from my boyfriend Daniel\u2019s oldest daughter made me realize something was … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1739"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1741,"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1739\/revisions\/1741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reallifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}