Haywire

I think that having a less than ordinary father, or "haywire" as Heather Seller describes it, affected her because she didn't know what a normal life was. After her parents divorce, her mom started to lose herself. She developed some sort of anxiety that convinced her they were being watched and therefore, it wasn't safe for Heather to leave the house. She was always on edge and as a result, living with her was close to her impossible.

Seller's sought her father for comfort, she believed things would be different with him and for the better. She had this idea in her head of what he would be like since she last saw him but, much to her dismay, she was met with someone completely different. There was a sudden sadness in her father's eyes that she didn't recognize and she felt the straps underneath his shirt that weren't supposed to be there.  Physically, everything about him was different, it was feminine. Her father was never the same.

It became difficult for Seller's to develop a proper relationship with her father because she didn't know what he was. I believe this is why it had such a profound affect on her. I would imagine it felt like losing a dad. His sexuality was the biggest elephant in the room but neither of them could manage to talk about it.

College was an escape from her life at home. This is why, during her breaks, she would purposely stay in her dorm to avoid going back. I think it became a distraction, even. She immersed herself in her studies so she wouldn't have to go back to her life with her father and mother. It was her exit. Being a professor symbolized an achievement she was able to reach without either of her parents support.