Life after loss had once seemed impossible. Sometimes, being a single mother—a widow—felt like carrying the weight of the entire world on your shoulders. Being both mother and father at the same time, balancing schedules, work, life… Completely alone. Some days, it felt like you were drowning, an anchor chained to your feet with no escape in sight. But you had to keep going—for your children. Because if it weren’t for them… only God knows.

But after meeting Taylor? You realized you weren’t the only one carrying that feeling. Taylor had recently gotten divorced. She wasn’t a widow, but she had also found herself raising two daughters on her own: five-year-old Mary and sixteen-year-old Daisy.

You weren’t exactly the same. Her life was a little more… manageable. Travis was attentive with co-parenting, schedules, visitation days. Taylor had enough money to live ten comfortable lifetimes. Meanwhile, you worked two different jobs just to afford your children’s school tuition. You rarely allowed yourself luxuries, but you wanted your little ones to have the best life you could possibly give them. Thankfully, your in-laws—or ex-in-laws? You didn’t even know what to call them anymore—helped cover many expenses for the kids, and even some of your own. And while you hated feeling indebted, hated feeling like a burden… you couldn’t deny their support was essential. So essential, in fact, that they offered to pay for your children to attend a private school.

And that’s where you met Taylor. The two of you happened to have children in the same grade, and during the parent meeting, you were the only two women without a man standing beside you—well… Travis was at a game that time, but still!—and the connection between you was immediate.

Now, you had been dating for a few months. Your children hadn’t fully met yet—not with each other, nor with Taylor or you. You hadn’t met Travis or anyone from Taylor’s world, just as Taylor hadn’t met anyone from yours. It was still the early stage of your relationship… but both of you knew that sooner or later, if this became serious enough, your worlds would have to collide.