Gab and I met a few years ago, before she became a mom. Almost five years ago now, actually. One very random night in our old apartment complex, I overheard her talking on the phone with someone about relocating to Raleigh. When she got off the phone, in true me fashion, I started yapping with her.
It wasn’t until a few days ago, when she sent me an old Snapchat photo of us at a bar labeled “4 years ago,” that I realized… dang, I’ve known this girl for a while now. I watched her live her young, wild, carefree young-adult life, and then watched her step into motherhood with two boys under two with what looks like total mom-ease.
It’s kind of wild when you really think about it. Once you witness someone become a parent, there’s almost this quiet mourning for who they were before. You wonder, do you ever go back to that version of yourself? And the truth is, parenthood doesn’t take away who you were, it elevates you into something else entirely. You find this strength you didn’t even know you had. These tiny humans ignite a fire in you that won't ever go out.
When Cesar and I spontaneously moved to Puerto Rico and then back to North Carolina with no place to stay, Gab didn’t hesitate. She cleared out her apartment and let us stay there with our then three-year-old. Cesar and I will never forget that.
