I met my husband at a time where I was finally getting back to myself. In fact, we met at the airport when both of us were taking flights to visit with other people. 😊

I was feeling great and looking fine! After a couple of bad relationships, I was working, travelling, excited about me and my daughter’s future. I had no intentions of bringing anyone into T’s life anytime soon, she was only 2 years old and the way my trust was set up… it was a no.

 

Never afraid of a challenge…

To get to Tori, someone had to get through me first. I was not a mother who let my child go with very many people or allowed many people around her. Due to things that happened in my past, I was well aware that there were people out there with sick and mean intentions as it pertained to children. J, was unbothered. His heart was so pure when it came to his questions about her, concerned about her day; everything. This was before he was even allowed to meet her. He SHOWED me that he cared.

 

Before long…

I was in a full relationship about a year after meeting J, which was totally unexpected! I had no intentions of falling in love with him… at all. It took me about 6 months before I allowed him to see Tori in passing. You know, bump into him at lunch or something like that. It wasn’t long before Tori was asking when we would hang with Mr. Jerritt again. And now, 10 years later, J’s adoption of Tori is final. We’ve always been a family but now it’s official in the eyes of the law.

Love Personified…

He is love personified because it takes a special kind of man to not only love a woman unconditionally but to love her child, that is not “genetically” his, with the same insane kind of love. It’s selfless, endearing, kind and genuine. It was unexpected but what SHE needed. He taught her how to swim and how to ride a bike. J was at her Pre-K, Kindergarten and 5th grade graduations and will be there, God-willing, at every other milestone in her life. He’s been there when she was sick and has NEVER missed a single recital, meet, performance; I mean he literally came to a performance directly off of a flight and straight to the school (just this past April). God will always give you what you need, even when you aren’t looking for it.

 

I could go on and on about the type of father he is and if you follow me you have seen me gloat on him before but someone else had something they wanted to say.

Thoughts from Tori…

“When I first met him, I didn’t know what to think because I didn’t know him that well. Now I know that I love him. As a person and as a dad. He means the world to me and I’m glad that he came into my life when he did.

I remember one thing that I’ll never forget that I asked him one day when he was walking down the stairs. I said to him “Is it ok if I call you Daddy Jerritt since you aren’t going anywhere soon?”. He said back to me “Do you want to call me that?”. From that point on, I KNEW that I wanted him to be the one I call “Dad” for the rest of my life. So, I said to him “Yes”, and that was all it took. He is the best Dad that I could possibly ever have, I’m glad he is and I love him very much”

 

Happy Father’s Day to my husband, my baby daddy, my business partner and my friend. Thank you for loving our girls the way you do, for protecting them with all that you have and for showing them how a man should treat them. Until the end of time, you will always be their hero and for that I am forever grateful!

 

Love & Light,

Mommi Trese