Devon Ledbetter is a writer and editor based in Florida. She holds a BA in English from Florida State University. She currently formerly worked as a Digital Editor with Love What Matters and has previously had works published with College Magazine and Her Campus. Her favorite pastimes include beach trips, baking, and concerts. You can learn more about Devon through her portfolio https://dnl16b.wixsite.com/ledbetter-portfolio
“As the month went on, we noticed more waves from walkers and honks from drivers. The skeletons seemed to have provided the community with some comic relief during a time where many people were feeling isolated.”
“I allowed myself to mourn what I thought our life was going to look like. Then I told myself I needed to move forward because that beautiful brown-eyed girl is counting on me to be her mother. To advocate for her, to fight for her, and to speak for her until she could speak herself.”
“Over the next two years, one man was filling my heart, while another was hellbent on tearing it apart. My ex restlessly continued this stressful family battle full of dirty, malicious, and vindictive tactics worthy of a dark Netflix series.”
“You see, a few months before we didn’t think my Grandpa would make it to celebrate this day. He was put on hospice only a short time before their big celebration.”
“If your ultimate goal is to love a child and create a family, it won’t matter when you finally have the child you were meant to have all along.”
“When she was losing weight, it was because I tried to force breastfeeding too long. When she couldn’t bring her hands together, it was because I had swaddled her longer than I should’ve. When she couldn’t crawl, it was because I didn’t do enough tummy time.”
“I ended up getting pregnant with Josh’s baby in late October. I remember Josh looking at me once we read the pregnancy test and he asked, ‘What will Riley think of me?’ I was completely heartbroken. I couldn’t believe he would say those words to me. What about me, what about our baby?”
“In my eyes, once I gave birth, Josh would see his son and remember the love he had for me. When Josh left the hospital the day Riley was born, it ripped my heart out. This was confirmation that the family I had always pictured was not going to happen.”
“A good mom stretched herself thin for the sake of her child. A good mom juggled all the things with a smile on her face and a clean home. A good mom did what was best for her family. But I was a part of the family…and it was pushing me into a really dark and scary place.”
“During the early stages of the pregnancy, every physician we met asked us if we wanted to take our triplet pregnancy down to a singleton, as the risk was extremely high. Every time our answer was the same: ‘NO!'”
