Tessa’s Home is an 8 part series running until December 27th. To listen to the audio backgrounder from CHRI, click below.
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Tessa’s continues her story….
After my dad died, my head was really messed up because of it and I ended up hitchhiking across Canada.
At this time, I was 17 years old. Me and a friend made it all the way to Calgary Alberta in 5 days. I spent a few months out there, and eventually made my way back home to Ottawa.
From Calgary, I had had a pen-pal, who I was corresponding with regularly, who lived in Ottawa, and when I arrived back, we decided to meet. When I did, we were inseparable, and I had found, who I thought was my soul mate.
For about a year we were inseparable, (so I was 18 here) and when I found out I was expecting I went to his work (he worked at a coffee shop). I waited my turn in the line, went up and said, “I would like to a medium ice cap and a side of ‘I am expecting your baby’”. He looked at me in disbelief and we arranged to meet.
After that weekend I went to see him at his place, and he was gone. He decided to move somewhere far away and cut off all contact with me.
Being very young and headstrong, my fear was soon overcome by excitement, and joy, but I remained homeless and sleeping outside until I was 8 months pregnant, and to this day, I haven’t heard from my first son’s father.
My beautiful little boy is now four years old, and I also have a one year old, both boys, and anyone with children knows how wonderful and amazing and life changing they truly are.
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