Greetings to the author.
I read the prequel. And I really liked it. It certainly reveals the characters from an unexpected angle. But... it raises quite a few questions.

Am I correct in assuming that Valerie was 14 at the time of her death? Andy gave birth to her at 15.
And at the time of the main story -
Merle - 55
Andy - 29
Jessica - 33

Then, how old were Andy, Jessica, and Merle's parents if the age difference between the first and last is 26 years?

Also, does that mean Merle branded his sisters when they were 14? Then in the video Valerie watched, her aunt is younger, right?