A Thank You to Them.

I don’t usually write about this side of things, but today feels like the right time.

Me and my daughter's dad have been through a lot. I met him when I was 16, and now at 24, I can honestly say the road between then and now has been bumpy, painful, and complicated. We’ve argued, we’ve hurt each other, and there were times I never thought we’d get to a good place. But here we are, five years into our little girl's life, and something feels different. He’s married now, with a baby on the way, and somehow, against all odds, we’re in the best place we’ve ever been.

Recently, he and Ava’s step mam came to visit. They brought food to help us out and stayed for a chat. It might sound like a small thing, but to me, it meant so much more than that. It meant that Ava gets to grow up in a home where her parents—no matter what we’ve been through—can stand side by side for her. She gets to see that even if people don’t always work out as a couple, they can still work together for the sake of their child. That matters more than I can ever put into words.

And I can’t write this without talking about her step mam, because she deserves her own thank you. Over the years, she’s been nothing but kind to Ava. She didn’t have to love my little girl, but she chose to. She didn’t have to step into that role, but she did, and she’s done it with patience, love, and care. I know that Ava has another safe space with her, another woman she can look up to, another hand to hold—and that means the world to me. I’ll always be grateful for that.

So this is a thank you. To Ava’s dad, for showing up and working with me instead of against me. To her step mam, for being there for Ava in ways I’ll never forget. And to both of them, for making sure Ava grows up surrounded by love—not just from me, but from all of us who care about her.

We’ve had our rough years, but if this is where we’ve ended up—building something better for our daughter—then maybe all those battles were worth it. Because in the end, Ava is happy, safe, and loved. And that’s all I ever wanted.

- Nat x