My father and my mother separated, but they lived together because the house belonged to them both. After some time, my mother fell in love again and ended up pregnant, and that’s when she moved out. When she moved out during her pregnancy, she still came to visit my brother and me.  But when she gave birth to her daughter, she wasn’t able to be with us at all due to the condition of her daughter having down syndrome and heart problems. Till this day, I don’t see my mother.  I've only seen her two times since she gave birth.  It’s been really hard for me without her, but she reminds me that she's here every day. I miss her presence all the time - her unique smell, her laughter, and her anger towards the little things because it was often funny. I have none of that anymore; I don’t have anything of hers but a little remembrance of a turquoise marble bracelet she got for me at a greenhouse as she bought plants for my little garden, and the purchase also benefitted a good cause, so that made me even happier. The bracelet has a little elephant attached to it, and that’s another reason I love the bracelet because her favorite animal is an elephant. 
My mother means the world to me, she’s my best friend and my favorite person in this world. She’s the most perfect human in my eyes.  She sometimes doubts herself on decisions and whether she's a good mother or not, but I'm not mad that she's not with me. I get it all, and I accept it because as much as it hurts, she’s always been supportive, and I’d do anything to let her know that she’s done a perfect job in raising my brother and me.

– Citlaly

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant