The first time I met Yolanda, I wore a light pink flower dress. I remember wanting to make a good first impression, as Will, my boyfriend, now husband, warned me that she was the type of woman who, if she didn't like you, that was it. You would never be on her good side. After meeting her, I understood what he meant. Yolanda is a woman who raised four kids primarily on her own, while also attending school to become a mammogram technician.
After Will and I got married, we found ourselves living with Yolanda when our landlord did not extend our lease, and we had less than 30 days to move out. "You can come live with me," she said. "We are family. You can live here at home until you get back on your feet." It was a huge blow to Will and my ego, but we knew it was the right move.
During my pregnancy, I remember how I desperately wanted my mother to be with me, but since my parents were in the middle of a nasty divorce, it was a lost cause. While I was going through pregnancy for the first time, Yolanda was there, purchasing my first set of maternity clothes and planning the baby shower. My pregnancy, delivery, and first year of motherhood during the pandemic were rough, and there were times when Yolanda and I did not see eye to eye.
My son's diagnosis changed our family. "You've hurt me!" yelled my mother-in-law Yolanda. It was the first year my son was born, also.
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