Rochelle Pitts's world was shattered when her 13-year-old husband, Jesse, died in a tragic car accident three days before Christmas in 2020 - leaving her six months pregnant with their fourth child as well as all responsibilities to care for the other three.
After the baby was born, Rochelle expected her to raise only children and never have a second chance at love. "After my husband died, I never wanted to be with anyone again," she told Jam Press. "I also had four kids and I was alone, so how could I start dating someone?"
However, a source of comfort was her late husband Scott's best friend, with whom Rochelle began having friendships about six months after her husband's death.
It was then that she realized that they had many similar features. It was not long before the Platonic friendship began to change, though it had its concerns.
"I was afraid to go out with him, one of the main reasons was that I knew no one would understand us," Rochelle said. "It started slowly. "We watched movies together and he helped me out in the yard or with random things at home."
“He has seven brothers and sisters; he understands the grief over his family's death experiences and he cares for my children, "Rochelle told Jam Press. "Our grief does not take it away."
"Immediately after he died, life was extremely chaotic - we all cried constantly," Rochelle said.
At the time of the accident, Rochelle was six months pregnant with her youngest daughter, Wren, whom she said is a copy of her father. The birth was particularly difficult as the baby came to life just weeks after Jesse's death.
"Ka kaluar rreth një vit e gjysmë që kur ai vdiq," tha ajo. "Ende dhemb çdo ditë, por tani është ndryshe."
Ajo shpjegoi se Scott ka respektuar nevojat e saj, duke e ditur se ajo dhe burri i saj i ndjerë janë njohur në adoleshencë, teksa të dy punonin në një restorant.
“Ai gjithashtu nderon kujtimin e Jesse-it; kur për herë të parë hëngrëm një darkë së bashku, ai u ul në një karrige të veçantë dhe e la karrigen e zakonshme të Jesse-it bosh,” tha ajo për gjestin e Scott. "Ai ende e bën këtë."
Rochelle, e cila tani po studion për t’u bërë avokate, tha se është e rëndësishme që ajo ta tregojë historinë e saj publikisht. Prandaj ajo hapi një llogari tashmë virale të TikTok, si dhe një faqe interneti, “Untitled Grief of a Young Widow”.
"Before I was a widow, I could have wondered if I would see a widow dating her husband's best friend after his death," she said. "But now that I'm a widow, I realize this is very normal."
