A day before her first Mother’s Day — a milestone once imagined through the soft lens of joy, fulfilment, and new beginnings — Chris-Ann Palmer, instead, found herself confronting an altogether different reality: single motherhood shaped by heartbreak, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion.

“It was as if time stood still. I forgot how to breathe, and I felt completely exhausted,” Palmer told The Gleaner.

“I remember I had one of those nights where the baby refused to sleep. It was the last thing I needed. I wasn’t in the mood or the frame of mind to handle that weight, especially when that reality stems from betrayal.”