Grace halted as she listened to the words being said on the other end of the phone. ‘That can not be true, that just can not be true” – she was repeating nervously, trying to understand what she just heard. The pregnant woman was feeling the world slowly falling out from beneath her.
A widow – that what she was now. Grace just lost the love of her life. Devastated, she did not understand why and how to keep on living. In one week, she was supposed to give birth to her son, and now there would be no one to share that day with her. Would she believe that 7 days later, everything would drastically change for her? Grace was soon to experience a real miracle!
It was supposed to be a normal weekday. Gabriel kissed his family goodbye and went to work at his construction job. The father and husband had previously worked for a cigar company but had switched to construction in the last year.
Gabriel made the switch to focus more on his event planning company. Gabriel and his wife Grace had started Divinely Social Events and were slowly being recognized for larger events. While Gabriel made this decision for his family, it would eventually be the decision that took him away from his family permanently.
Gabriel’s job was dangerous but he always took safety precautions. What happened on October 29th was a completely freak accident and unfortunately took the life of Gabriel instantly.
On-site, Gabriel was working beneath a steel beam when the equipment fell and landed on him. While his team attempted to remove the beam as fast as possible, they could already tell it was too late. An ambulance was called Gabriel’s manager made a call to his pregnant wife.
When Grace saw an unknown number calling her cellphone, she instantly felt panic. She didn’t think anything had happened to Gabriel but was concerned something had happened to one of her two daughters.
When she answered the call and began to listen to what was being said, she had to ask Gabriel’s boss to repeat himself several times. Surely this was a joke! Grace wrapped her arms protectively around her pregnant belly and began to scream as she fell to the floor.
In Grace’s condition, everyone was very worried about her. This stress was dangerous for her and the baby. Grace’s grief overtook everything and she posted on social media for people to not message her. At this time, she needed to focus on her children.
The widowed mother had to figure out what life looked like after the loss of her husband. She would need to figure out a new way to carry on with life. At the time, this felt impossible, but one small detail gave Grace hope for a brighter future.
Grace had to make a plan so that she successfully delivered her baby in one week. Delivering a baby is already a very stressful process. Grace’s family was extremely worried about both her and the baby’s health.
Grace came up with an idea that would help her get through the delivery. It was slightly untraditional but she knew there was no way she could deliver her son otherwise. When she told the doctor what she needed, the entire medical team promised to make this one thing happen.
Grace had scheduled a c-section and it was exactly one week after Gabriel had passed away. When she woke up on the morning of her son’s delivery she still felt very numb. Grace was trying to put on a brave face for her daughters and family, but her pain was constant.
Grace described Gabriel as her “best friend, my love, my baby daddy, and my soulmate”. The couple had been together for eight years and had so many plans for their future. Would Grace be able to achieve their goals without Gabriel’s support?
When Grace arrived at the hospital, the staff let her know that they had organized everything as per her request. It was an emotional day, and the entire team delivering her baby also knew that Grace had recently lost her husband.
The time arrived and Grace was wheeled into the delivery room. As she looked up she instantly felt calm and love wash over her body. Grace had taken extra steps to make sure Gabriel felt a part of the day. From beyond the grave, Gabriel also wanted to shine through.
Grace’s one request had been that she had a picture of Gabriel in the delivery room. The medical team had been able to fix the picture right above Grace’s head. As she pushed and successfully went through labor, she could look into Gabriel’s eyes at any time.
When she heard her son cry for the first time, Grace was completely overwhelmed. She couldn’t believe Gabriel was missing his son’s life and then she noticed one important detail. Was Gabriel in the room with her right now?
The day that Gabriel passed away his time of death had been recorded at 1:05 pm. It was a time that haunted Grace for a week and after receiving the phone call. She would purposely try to be busy all afternoon and not stare at the clock.
In the delivery room, Grace was only focused on giving birth. She completely lost track of time. For the entire process, she had been staring into Gabriel’s eyes and also trying to make sure her son was safe. She knew that Gabriel would want his son’s life to be Grace’s main focus, but then she noticed one tiny detail.
When Grace held her son for the first time, all she saw was his resemblance to his father. His tiny smile looked like his father’s and even the way his hand was against his tiny cheek made Grace speechless.
Everything had gone smoothly for Grace’s delivery and she realized it was still early in the afternoon. In fact, it was very close to the time she tried to avoid due to Gabriel’s death. She quickly asked a nurse one important question.
Grace frantically asked a nurse what time her son was born. No one understood why the new mother was so fixated on the time of birth. When the team told her Grace was overcome with a fresh wave of emotion.
Was it possible that the same minute and hour her husband had left this world, exactly a week later her son would be born? Grace rocked her new baby as she cried and smiled through the pain. She knew without a doubt Gabriel’s spirit was with her now more than ever.
Grace thought this coincidence was a miracle and took to her Facebook account a week later to post pictures of her son and the incredible detail about his birth. In her post she wrote, “’A week ago today, at 1:05 PM, you took your last breath, my love. Today, exactly at 1:05 PM, our son, #GabrielTomasAlvarez, took his first breath,’
Grace wrote. ‘Everything about today has been filled with signs that you are here with us.’ She was excited to share with her friends and family this unique bond father and son would share. There was one company that was fascinated by this, but would Grace talk to them or value her privacy?
Shortly after her son was born and Grace shared her Facebook update, she was surprised when People magazine reached out for an interview. They could not believe the chance that her son was born exactly a week later after losing her spouse.
They wanted to know if Grace would be up for sharing her story, and after careful consideration, Grace agreed. She had been through the worse experience in her life and was still able to smile. Grace wanted to share her story to inspire others that dark days do not last forever.
Grace believes in a higher power and feels that her experience only solidified her belief. When she sat down with People magazine she let their audience know, “I see no coincidence. I know he’s been with me the entire time. Gabriel looks just like him.”
Grace continued by saying she had one goal as Gabriel, her son, grows up. “I will make sure he knows what an incredible husband, father, brother, son, and friend he was, and I will do my best to raise him in the manner Gabe would have wanted.” After the birth of her son, it was time to do something Grace never thought she would have to do.
Grace never thought she would be planning her husband’s memorial service. After waiting as long as possible she planned a small ceremony for the love of her life. Gabriel’s friends and family came from near and far. They needed to say their respects and share this moment for their own closure.
It was a surreal day. When Grace got home she spoke with her daughters about how they were feeling. They asked if they could do one extra special thing to say goodbye to their daddy. When Grace heard their request, her eyes immediately filled with tears.
Grace & Gabriel’s youngest daughter was only five years old when he passed away. It was hard for her to understand where daddy had gone, but she understood that heaven was in the sky. She decided to send something up to heaven as a way to say goodbye.
After making a painting with a heart, the family also found heart-shaped balloons and tied the painting to the strings. They knew sending this message up to heaven would give the family a small bit of closure. Grace & Gabriel’s community were also prepared to go above and beyond and support this young widow.
After news of Gabriel’s accident spread, friends and family were quick to start a go fund me for the new widow and single mother. Raising three children alone is no easy task and even though Grace has a community of support, every dollar also helps.
Grace was overwhelmed by the generosity of friends, family, and even strangers. She knew everyone wanted to contribute because of how amazing her husband had been. In this life he had helped and touched so many souls, they wanted to return the kindness any way they could.
As the holiday season approaches, this year will be the hardest yet. With their family traditions and the grief over losing Gabriel, Grace is grateful to everyone who helps her stay strong for her children. The young mother finished her interview with People magazine by saying the following.
“I have moments where I feel I have to be strong and accept it because I am a mother and can’t fall apart. I can’t bear my reality. The love of my life was taken from me in an instant… A piece of me is gone. My children are keeping me going. I know my husband, the love of my life, will live on through his children and I hope to find peace and healing as they both grow up.”
