Worried Mother
Audrey Loving wanted to rise above all of that "baby mama drama," but she knew it wasn't going to be easy. When a new woman entered the picture, she struggled to make peace with the fact.
So, with the hope that many will see, Audrey went on to Facebook to spread a message she knew the other woman couldn't ignore.
Young Love
Everyone knows it: relationships are hard. And when you add children into the mix, it can be even harder. With difficult exes, ugly divorces, custody battles, and new significant others showing up to further complicate things, someone is about to snap.
When Audrey Loving met Corey Henry at age 18, it was love at first sight for the two. They were sure they would spend their lives together...or so they believed at the time.
Engaged
Even with a child in the mix, their love continued to thrive, leading to an engagement and the promise to spend the rest of their lives together.
They believed nothing could stand in their way. Young and engaged, with the whole world in front of them, it seemed like nothing could go wrong for them.
Relationship Problems
While their relationship was growing into something beautiful, Audrey and Corey had a gorgeous little girl. They named her Riley, and with her birth, the trio couldn’t be happier.
But that didn't mean everything was perfect in their lives. They were young and they didn’t have a plan for everything. As much as Audrey and Corey wanted to make it, they struggled to get used to the new family life.
Different Roads
Corey's demanding job meant that they often had to spend weeks apart. Distance and the stress of daily family life were putting them in a difficult situation. Especially for someone so young.
In the end, the couple realized that they had no choice but to end their marriage. While it was the best decision they could make at the time, they were worried about how it would affect their little girl.
A New Life
The couple agreed to co-parent Riley. Audrey had custody, but Corey promised to be as involved as he could, spending time with his beloved daughter on weekends. Little by little, they got used to their new, modern family.
But just when it seemed like they finally had everything settled, their relationship took another dramatic turn. This threatened to end their new peaceful arrangement.
New Woman
Corey met a new woman, and they soon started to date. Audrey began to worry. She knew that the new couple would move on, but she didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
Audrey was petrified with fear. Her mind started to feed her the worst scenarios possible. Would this new woman be a good influence on Riley? Would Riley like her better than her real mom? Would Audrey lose her daughter to this fresh maternal figure?
Tug of War
Things started to become serious between Corey and his new girlfriend, Whitney. During this time Audrey decided that she needed to take back control of the situation. She was set to let Whitney know who the real mom was after all.
Every time Corey’s daughter would spend time at his place, Audrey would write out very meticulous instructions for Whitney to follow. Adding to that the overbearing texts which instructed Whitney on every little thing. The way Whitney reacted stunned Audrey.
Follow without Questioning
Whitney followed Audrey's wishes without question, religiously sending the mother photos of her and Riley together, as well as frequent text updates. Audrey began to question her approach.
She started to wonder if she was being too hard on Whitney. Audrey realized that she didn't want to be associated with the "mama bear" stereotype. She also didn’t want her daughter to have the wrong impression of Whitney.
A Change of Attitude
Audrey began to warm up to Whitney as she recalled her own childhood experiences. "Growing up, I heard the negative talk about the ‘other woman,’ and I didn’t want my kid to hear the same thing,” Audrey said.
Once Audrey softened, she saw Whitney in a whole new light. Her perception of the new woman in her daughter’s life changed. This inspired Audrey to write a Facebook post that aimed to warn others in similar situations.
Facebook Warning
In the Facebook post, Audrey showed her gratitude for Whitney. "I'm super thankful for her because when Riley visits her dad, Whitney feeds her, takes care of her, buys her gifts, and basically takes care of her like her own."
Audrey gushed over her newfound feelings for Whitney, and she didn’t hesitate to admit that her doubts were unfounded. Every good person in her daughter’s life is a blessing.
Gratitude
After Audrey had written about her positive relationship with Whitney, words of understanding and thankfulness flooded her Facebook feed. She said that every mother should be more understanding with the new woman in their ex-husband’s life and not judge so quickly.
Audrey admitted that It’s not easy to be a mother to a kid that’s not yours. So when there is someone trying their hardest to take care of someone else’s child, they shouldn’t be pushed away.
Two Moms
Audrey said that any kid can have two moms because, and the more people that love a child, the better. And she had no choice but to be happy about it.
She followed by saying that she would never make her feel like an outsider in Riley’s life. Whitney had taught Audrey a lesson by helping her grow as a mom and as a human being.
An Inspiration
Many mothers who saw the post on Facebook were greatly influenced by Audrey's inspiring words of acceptance and positivity towards Whitney.
This led to the post going viral in record time. Thousands of supporting comments flooded her post, making the essence of Audrey's story crystal clear, and the lesson, one to learn from.
It’s not a Competition
When two people love a child, they shouldn’t compete against each other. All that matters is that they both love the child and want what’s best for them.
Audrey was never in any position of losing her daughter. In fact, Audrey gained more than she could have ever dreamed of in Whitney, especially given how draining this type of arrangement can be on a child.