It broke me. They were scared their friends would laugh, ashamed that at their age, their mother found love again. It was selfish, yes, but I saw the fear in their eyes. I felt their hearts. So I chose them, chose silence over companionship and chose to carry the weight of loneliness just to protect their joy.
It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t. But I smile through it. Because when you love deeply, you sacrifice deeply.
– Patience Ozokwor
