I had stress, sure — deadlines, bills, a mother who texted me hourly with grocery list updates, and an array of supplements for me to try.
« James, you work too much, » she’d say. « And I’m proud of you! But I’m worried about your health, too. Which is why supplements and good food are going to be the order of the day. »
So, yeah, stress. But it was normal, manageable, and predictable.
Then my mom, Naomi, was killed in a car accident on her way to pick up birthday candles for my twin sisters, Lily and Maya’s, 10th birthday. And just like that, every detail of my adult life disappeared beneath the weight of sudden parenthood.
The wedding seating chart? Forgotten.
The save-the-dates printing? Pending.
The espresso machine we’d registered for? Canceled.
I went from being the oldest child to the only parent. I went from designing foundations to becoming one to two little girls who had nowhere else to go.
